Treve is on track for the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp September 14 as trainer
Criquette Head-Maarek builds her towards a defense of her crown in the October 5
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Not seen since finishing third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot
June 18, the winner of the Vermeille and the Prix de Diane and Arc in 2013
pleased connections in a spin on the piste des Aigles at Chantilly Tuesday
morning.
“We’re going to run her next week and she will need the race, it will do her
good,” Head-Maarek told the Racing Post. “In principle, she will run in
the Vermeille — she is in the Prix Foy but we’ll go for the Vermeille. She will
have a proper trial, because it is a Group 1 but I don’t want her to be knocked
about. We will go through it as a trial for the Arc like last year, when Frankie
(Dettori) saved her and didn’t give her a hard race. If the Vermeille was the
end for her, that’s different but it’s just a necessary step.”
Treve was found to have a back injury after the Royal meeting and her
conditioner shed more light on the situation Tuesday.
“The problem is cleared up as far as we can tell and she went well this
morning,” she continued. “For me, the important thing is her feet because
although she had a problem with her back it all comes from her feet. She has a
good action and is walking well after the work.”
Ruler of the World Arc-bound, Magician to BC Turf
Ruler of the World could make his return to action in the Prix Foy as trainer
Aidan O’Brien eyes a second crack at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Last year’s
Epsom Derby hero was only seventh to Treve in the Longchamp feature and has not
raced since disappointing in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March.
A setback in the summer meant Ruler of the World could not run in the
Coronation Cup back at Epsom but O’Brien reports the colt to be 100 percent
again now and the Foy on September 14 has been penciled in.
“We had him ready to run in the Coronation Cup,” commented O’Brien to At The
Races. “We were very happy with him and he just tweaked a muscle in his side so
he had a nice break after that, but he’s back and has been working away. He
worked nicely the last day he was away. It is very possible he will start in the
Foy with a view, if all goes well, of going back to the Arc.”
Magician is another of O’Brien’s star four-year-olds, and his main objective
is to bid to repeat last season’s triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“He’s back in full work,” O’Brien said. “He came back from America in good
shape. Obviously he’s in the Irish Champion and all those races. We have one eye
on the Breeders’ Cup Turf with him and that’s where he could finish up at the
end of the year. We’ll see what he does in between then.”
Demuro picks up mount of Sea the Moon
With Christophe Soumillon committed to remaining in France under the terms of
his retainer for His Highness The Aga Khan, Cristian Demuro has snagged the plum
ride aboard unbeaten Sea the Moon in Sunday’s Grosser Preis von Baden.
Soumillon replaced Andreas Helfenbein, who was in the saddle for Sea the
Moon’s first three starts, in last month’s 11-length rout in the Deutsches Derby
at Hamburg, and Markus Klug would like to see him back aboard for the Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe.
“Cristian will ride on Sunday as Christophe Soumillon is required to ride for
the Aga Khan in France, but I hope (Soumillon) will be available in October,”
Klug commented.
Tapestry a candidate for Matron
Aidan O’Brien has indicated Yorkshire Oaks victress Tapestry will likely
remain on home soil for her next start, and is a possible contender for the
Matron Stakes going one mile at Leopardstown September 13.
“We probably wouldn’t like to travel again for her next start so it is
possible she’ll stay at home,” O’Brien revealed. “She may run in the Matron as
we’d rather stay at home and not go a mile and a half. She can step up in trip
again after that.
“She’ll obviously have an option (in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or Prix de
l’Opera) on Arc weekend or miss that (meet) and go to America, so there’s a big
chance she’ll stay home and go for the Matron.”
Chicquita set for return in Blandford
Last year’s Irish Oaks winner Chicquita is being readied to make her
eagerly awaited return in the September 14 Blandford Stakes at The Curragh. It
will mark her first start for Aidan O’Brien after a racecourse absence of almost
14 months.
The bay, who also ran second to Treve in the Prix de Diane for previous
trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, was acquired by current connections for
€6 million from the Paul Makin dispersal at
last year’s Goffs November sale.
“The plan is to start her at the Curragh in the mile and a quarter fillies’
race,” O’Brien said. “Everything has been going well so far and we will
hopefully go on from there. There’s the Arc weekend where she has the fillies’
race (Prix de l’Opera) or the Arc. I suppose we’ll get her started first, see
how that goes and then a pick a race after that.”
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