Five Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In” races will be decided in France on Sunday (Photo credit Parislongchamp Racecourse).
Godolphin has sent over to ParisLongchamp two leading contenders for Sunday’s prestigious Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in Cazoo Derby (G1) winner Adayar (IRE) and Cazoo St Leger (G1) hero Hurricane Lane (IRE). The feature race is one of five Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races on the card, along with the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, Prix de l’Opera Longines, Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.
The 1 ½-mile Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), is set to be run on very soft ground with heavy rain forecast over the weekend in the French capital. A field of 15 have been declared.
Godolphin has enjoyed a brilliant summer season in Europe and will be hopeful of landing the US$6.1 million feature race for the first time since Marienbard (IRE) won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe under Frankie Dettori in their famous blue silks in 2002.
Adayar Supplemented to Arc
Supplemented at a cost of US$140,000 on Wednesday, Cazoo Derby (G1) and “Win and You’re In” King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) hero Adayar will break from stall 11 under William Buick, with Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1), Grand Prix de Paris (G1) and Cazoo St Leger (G1) winner Hurricane Lane in stall two for James Doyle.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said of Adayar: “Adayar has not missed a beat since the minor setback (prior to the Arc trials earlier this month). I couldn’t be happier with his well-being. He showed as a two-year-old he likes soft ground. We are certainly happier being on soft rather than quick ground going into an Arc.”
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Adayar Wins King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes
Appleby added: “As for Hurricane Lane, I’m very pleased the way he has come out of the St Leger. He’s had a busy season, so it has been a simple prep to have him ready for the Arc. We know the soft ground is going to suit him. But as a bonus, we know if it becomes a stamina-sapping Arc, he has already proven he has stamina in abundance. It’s a double positive for him.
At the head of the market with Adayar is the Dermot Weld-trained Tarnawa (IRE), winner of last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), who will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon.
Her trainer Dermot Weld said: “Tarnawa is very well, and I’m satisfied with her in every possible way. Her preparation has gone very well. She takes her training very well and it’s been very straightforward since Leopardstown. She’s a very fit filly and I’ve been very happy with her.”
O’Brien Saddles Three
Leading Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien will be represented by three runners. Snowfall (JPN) racked up three Group 1 victories by an aggregate of 28 ½ lengths before suffering her only defeat of the season in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (G1) last month. She returns to ParisLongchamp looking to get back to winning ways and will be ridden by Ryan Moore. Love (IRE) was the ante-post favorite for last year’s race, but was declared a non-runner due to the very soft ground. This year, the 4-year-old filly earned an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf when she won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. Love will be partnered by Frankie Dettori on Sunday. Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) winner Broome (IRE) is the final O’Brien runner, and he will be ridden by Yutaka Take.
Japan has yet to taste success in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Orfevre’s (JPN) second place in the 2013 renewal representing their closest finish. The 5-year-old mare Chrono Genesis (JPN) under Oisin Murphy and Deep Bond (JPN) under Mickael Barzalona are both seeking to become historic winners of the race for Japan. Chrono Genesis gained a free berth into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf when she won the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin in June.
Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches
The exciting Raclette (GB) will put her unbeaten record on the line in the 1-mile Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches (G1). The race winner will gain an automatic berth in the US$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
The 2-year-old daughter of Frankel will be one of three fillies saddled by legendary trainer Andre Fabre, who hasn’t won this race since 1995.
Fabre last week spoke glowingly about Racelette, saying: “She was very impressive last time out and she is probably one of the best fillies I have ever trained – she’s got everything,”
Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien will be hoping his filly Agartha (IRE) can go one better after she finished second to Discoveries (IRE) in the “Win and You’re In” Moyglare Stakes (G1) at The Curragh last month.
Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
Ebro River (IRE), a winner of the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1), is bidding to win a second Group 1 of the season in the 1-mile Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1), a “Win and You’re In” race for the US$1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).
Palmer said: “It’s a ‘Win and You’re In’ race but if he runs a big race without winning on Sunday, I wouldn’t rule out a trip to California with him.”
The field is headed by the unbeaten Prix du Calvados (G2) winner Accakaba (IRE) who is trained by Christophe Ferland.
Audarya looks for more Group 1 Glory in Prix de l’Opera Longines
The 2020 Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) heroine Audarya (FR) lines up in the 1 ¼-mile Prix de l’Opera Longines (G1). A win would book her place in the 2021 renewal as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
Trained by James Fanshawe, Audarya was defeated by a short-head in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet (G1) in her latest start at Deauville and returns to ParisLongchamp having finished third to Tarnawa in this race last year.
Siblia Spain (IRE) made light work of her opposition when storming clear in the Prix de Liancourt (L) last month and will be ridden by Olivier Peslier, who himself has won this race twice in a long and glittering career in the saddle.
Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines
George Strawbridge’s 3-year-old filly Suesa (IRE) won the King George Qatar Stakes (G2) at Goodwood on July 30, but only managed to finish fourth behind King Power Racing’s Winter Power (IRE) in the “Win and You’re In” Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York in August. Connections will be hoping that she can reverse that form in the 5-furlong Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (G1), which gives the winner an automatic starting position for the the US$1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
Her trainer Francois Rohaut said: “She looks great, she’s very happy and quiet and everything’s perfect. She came out [of York] well, we’ll just forget that race as she had a bad draw. I am very happy with her – she looks much better and much stronger. She is improving, I think. She’s probably the best French contender. I don’t really focus on who is going to run and who will like the ground, she will run her best.”
Bearstone Stud Limited’s 5-year-old mare Glass Slippers (GB) won this race in 2019 and finished an excellent 2nd in last year’s renewal, before landing the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland under a brilliant ride from Tom Eaves. The pair will team up again on Sunday, in what will be only her third start of a quiet season.
