Allowed the opportunity to run in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at
Longchamp due to his current state of rude health, Cirrus des Aigles made easy
work of his task by leading all the way under Christophe Soumillon to bag a
fifth top-level success. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, the eight-year-old was never
in any danger and only needed to be kept up to his work to score by 1 1/2
lengths from Anodin in what amounted to a picnic in the Bois de Boulognes.
“I wake up every morning and go to his stable not to see if he is OK, but to
see if he is really there and it is not just a dream,” trainer Corine
Barande-Barbe commented. “He is quite exceptional and I don’t know if there has
ever been one like him. He gives us so much fun and pleasure and this was only
really a workout for him.”
By the time Cirrus des Aigles confronted So You Think in the inaugural
running of the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October 2011, he had already garnered
seven pattern-race successes, but his eclipse of that dual-hemisphere giant
pitched him into new territory. Proving it was no flash in the pan, he traveled
to Meydan the following March to best St Nicholas Abbey in the Dubai Sheema
Classic before returning to France to enjoy what only amounted to a homecoming
parade in the Prix Ganay.
Following that emphatic eight-length success of the subsequent Group 1 winner
Giofra, his momentum was halted as he was beaten by the filly that Andre Fabre
regards as the best he trained in Golden Lilac in this race. On top of his later
disqualification from second as a result of a positive test for a prohibited
substance, the gelding suffered an infection which kept him off until the Prix
Dollar here in October 2012 but he still managed to win that by nine lengths en
route to a match with Frankel back at Ascot’s Champions Day. After making the
Juddmonte colossus race a bit, he was absent for eight months and only truly
regained some of his old form with another win in the Prix Dollar prior to
another second in the Champion and a third placing in the Hong Kong Cup.
Even a second placing to Gentildonna in the March 29 Dubai Sheema Classic did
not completely fire the imagination, but the veteran then managed the
implausible by upstaging Treve in the April 27 Prix Ganay and after this
relatively easy follow-up it is hard to say that he will not add something
special to his laurels this term.
Barande-Barbe was looking at all the Group 1 options after he had failed to
see a rival here, with his main opponent Olympic Glory putting in another
lackluster effort around these turns and ending up fourth.
“I was not worried about anything beforehand, as he had run very well here
before and been beaten only by two very good fillies including Goldikova (in
2011) and the ground was exactly as he likes it,” she said. “He has plenty of
possibilities, including the Coronation Cup (at Epsom June 7), the Prince of
Wales’s Stakes (at Royal Ascot June 18) and so we will decide, all the time
keeping an eye on the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (at Ascot July
26).”
In the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary for three-year-old fillies, George
Strawbridge’s homebred We Are remained perfect from three starts while stepping
up in grade.
Despite being unproven in black-type company, the Freddie Head trainee was
nevertheless sent off the well-supported second choice as a result of a
substantial reputation and the manner of her two wins so far. The first came in
a mile debutantes event here April 10 and was followed by a convincing
performance in a conditions race over 10 1/2 furlongs at Saint-Cloud at the
start of May.
Held up early by Thierry Jarnet in mid-division forced out wide with no
cover, the bay was delivered at the top of the straight, and after taking
command passing the quarter-pole, surged away from the one-paced Vazira.
“She did have the best trip here, but I like the way she won and she showed
how good she is,” Head commented. “She will go for the Prix de Diane (at
Chantilly June 15) now and I hope she could be very good. She has a great future
ahead of her.”
Fly With Me earned his first stakes victory in the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse
Vigier for stayers.
Third on his first try at black-type in Toulouse’s Prix Max Sicard over 12
furlongs in December, Fly With Me successfully stepped up to 14 furlongs in a
conditions event at Compiegne March 17 before finishing third again in the April
27 Prix de Barbeville over this track and 15 1/2-furlong trip.
Content to track the leader Goldtara in third, the gray — who sported
cheekpieces — was the only rival able to put it up to her in the straight and
eventually mastered her in the final meters.
“He had improved a lot from his last run and the way he was ridden today,
slightly isolated from the others and brought with one run, is the best way,”
trainer Eric Libaud commented. “I am convinced that there is still improvement
to come and it is great for the owner (Jean Luck), who bred him and has been
with me since I started training.”
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