Juddmonte homebreds Noble Mission, Flintshire clash at
Saint-Cloud
With Juddmonte’s leading older horses Flintshire and Noble Mission suited by conditions
in Sunday’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Khalid Abdullah has generously
given the green light for the duo to go head-to-head.
The former
needs no more rain as he bids to build on a highly creditable return second to Cirrus des Aigles
in the Coronation Cup at Epsom June 7, while Lady Cecil’s
flagship performer would appreciate a wetter build-up. On good ground, which is the forecast
going, they have a level playing field in a renewal they dominate on form figures. So
ground-dependant is last year’s Grand Prix de Paris hero Flintshire that he is unbeaten domestically on
ground which does not include the word “soft” in the description, with the peerless Cirrus
des Aigles his only conqueror on a lively surface.
Noble Mission has rebuilt his reputation
this term in testing conditions, following two comprehensive defeats of the subsequent Hardwicke Stakes winner Telescope
in Sandown’s Gordon Richards Stakes April 25 and Chester’s Huxley Stakes May 8
with another aggressive performance when taking the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh May 25.
“He acts better than others on soft ground, so we have to use that advantage
wherever we can,” the
owner-breeder’s Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe said of Noble Mission. “It’s not that
he has to have it, it’s just that it’s to his best advantage. A mile and a quarter has been good,
but certainly he’s got enough stamina to stay 1 1/2 miles at Saint-Cloud. There was a
little bit of rain forecast in Saint-Cloud, so I expect the going will be good and no one
will complain about that.”
The Aga Khan’s four-year-old filly Narniyn is an intriguing contender, having
earned a tilt at this level with wins in the 10 1/2-furlong Prix de Flore here in October and Longchamp’s La Coupe on her return over 1 1/4 miles June 12.
Another
on a roll is Hspirit’s Spiritjim, who has won his last four starts in black-type
company and comes into this on the back of battling performances in the Prix d’Hedouville at Longchamp May 8 and the June 1 Grand Prix de Chantilly.
For those fillies who need further than the Prix de
Diane distance of 10 1/2 furlongs, Saint-Cloud’s Group 2 Prix de Malleret serves as part consolation,
and Indonesienne steps up a full half-mile in a bid to get back on
track. Having won the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc day, the Wertheimers’
homebred looked short of necessary miling speed when third in the Prix de la Grotte
and 10th in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches back
over that track and trip April 13 and May 11.
Andre Fabre, who holds the record of seven winners,
saddles Gestut Ammerland’s June 1 Prix de Royaumont winner Savanne and Michael
Tabor’s Hug and a Kiss. The latter was third behind Shamkala in
the May 14 Prix Cleopatre over 10 1/2 furlongs when last seen, and
meets one of her stable companions in Dolniya this time. The Aga Khan’s homebred from the family of Daylami and Dalakhani booked
this rise in class when taking the 10-furlong Prix Melisande at Compiegne last time
June 6.
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