Last year's G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Place Du Carrousel beat the boys in the G2 Prix Foy last weekend and is now bound for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She could also be on the plane to America, according to Fabre, who revealed an audacious tilt at the Breeders' Cup and then Hong Kong could be in store.

Fabre said of Place Du Carrousel, who passed up an option against her own sex in the G1 Prix Vermeille most recently, “I wanted to run her against the colts to see how she did because that is what she is going to be running against in the Arc. I was quite happy.

“She proved she stayed 12 furlongs well. I need to discuss things with the owner, but if she remains in good shape she's quite fresh because she hasn't run much this year, we could look at big races in the States or in Hong Kong. She's proving that she can handle any sort of ground, but the Arc will be tough. She's going to run well.”

Mqse De Sevigne has won Group 1 races over a mile and 10 furlongs in her last two races and is likely heading to Newmarket next for the G1 Sun Chariot S. before she runs in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

Fabre explained, “She's a very nice filly. She will go to Newmarket next back over a mile. Her plan is the Breeders' Cup Mile so running her at Newmarket will sharpen her up a little bit–a mile race will be perfect.

“She has really improved this season, she's got stronger, but we always liked her. Ground doesn't matter to her, the ground is always nice at Newmarket. Alexis [Pouchin] has a good relationship with her and he will probably be on at Newmarket.”

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The highest rated son of Churchill (Ire) won five times for Jean-Claude Rouget and carried the colours of the Aga Khan. He will join the stallion ranks at Haras de Bonneval, where he will stand alongside Siyouni (Fr), Zarak (Fr) and Dariyan (Fr). No fee has been decided on yet. 

Georges Rimaud, manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France, commented, “We are delighted to have Vadeni join the team at Haras de Bonneval and he will come to stud with a very exciting profile. A stakes winner at two, he showed a fantastic turn of foot to win the Prix du Jockey Club by a record five-length margin at three, proved the best of a stellar field in the Eclipse S., and placed in both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Irish Champion S.

“He showed a great constitution and temperament that enabled him to perform with distinction at the highest level, not just in France, but also in Ireland and the UK.”

Vadeni's Eclipse victory bridged a 62-year gap to the last French-trained winner of the Group 1 contest at Sandown. It was also a first UK winner for the Aga Khan since Harzand (Ire) won the Derby in 2016.

Rimaud added, “He is everything you would want in a racehorse-precocious, fast, sound and consistent, and a dual Group 1 winner. After two busy seasons, he ran a great race to come second in the Arc in testing conditions on his first try at 12 furlongs, and it possibly took more out of him than we thought. We have therefore taken the decision to retire him now and focus on the next chapter ahead of him.

“Like Siyouni, he hails from a prolific Lagardère family that consistently produces good horses, and he is bred on the successful cross of Galileo (Ire) and Monsun (Ger)–so he boasts an excellent pedigree to go with his race record.”

One of six winners from six to race for the winning Monsun mare Vaderana (Fr), Vadeni is a half-brother to the stakes-placed duo of Vadiyann (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Vadsena (Fr) (Makfi {GB}). His granddam is G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Vadawina (Ire) (Unfuwain), who threw three stakes winners including the Group 2 winner Vadamar (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who was third in the G1 Gran Premio di Milano, and G3 Tyros S. hero The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), third in the G1 Racing Post Trophy S.

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“He's good, he's in strong work. I've made an entry for him in the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup and he'll also have an entry for those two group races in France–the [G1 Prix] Ganay and the [G1] Prix d'Ispahan. One is at the end of April and one's at the end of May.”

The gelding began last year with a half-length success in the John Smith's Cup on July 9 at York and then landed a win in the G3 Betfred Rose Of Lancaster S. by four lengths at Haydock on Aug. 6.

Burrows went on to say, “You've got Group 3s at Sandown–Gordon Richards and the Brigadier Gerard–but he'd have a Group 2 penalty in those, so I think if we're happy and he's showing all the right signs at home, then why not have a crack?”

As for other members of the Shadwell lineup in his care, plans for the return of Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the G1 Coronation Cup over Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) last June, are also under advisement. A hind leg injury ended the full-brother to Baaeed (GB)'s year, but after a successful operation, he began the rehabilitation process. A bid later this year for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe could be feasible.

“I was speaking to Angus [Gold, Shadwell racing manager] about a month ago about whether we'd be brave enough to go back to Epsom first time out, but we're probably not,” said Burrows.

“We'll probably have a prep run somewhere in May, with a view to the main target being the [G2] Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot and then the races are all pretty mapped out for him. The good thing with him is that he's shown a preference for going on soft ground, so it's lovely to think he'd be turning up in France in October. He's rehabbed well and Sheikha Hissa was quite keen to give him another chance.”

Burrows also provided an update on Alflaila (GB) Dark Angel {Ire}), who scored a trio of listed and Group 3 victories at the end of last season before sustaining a fracture to his left fetlock. That ruled him out for a Bahrain run in November, but he is making strides with his recovery and is expected back soon.

“Alflaila is still back at Shadwell, I had an update a few weeks ago and he was back cantering,” he said. “I'm hoping he'll be back with me next week or the week after at the latest.”

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First job in the Thoroughbred industry?

Interning at a reproduction centre at Peterson & Smith down in Florida.

Biggest influence on your career?

My parents. Neither are in the industry, but they gave me a good foundation and the right mind set to succeed.

Favourite racehorse of all time, and why?

Tiznow. He's still the only dual winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023?

Land Force.

Greatest race in the world?

G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Most of the top middle-distance international form lines intersect at ParisLongchamp.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

Ryan Moore. He's one of the best jockeys in the world and has a fair poker face, win, lose, or draw.

Emerging talent in the industry (human)?

Seina Imamura. She now has 50 Japan Racing Association winners to her credit, and is only the fifth Japanese jockey to accomplish that feat in her rookie year.

Horse TDN should have made a Rising Star, and didn't?

From a few years back, Tis Marvellous.

Under-the-radar stallion?

Dream Ahead, even though he's sired several winners at the highest level.

Friday night treat?

A pint of gelato and a good book.

Guilty pleasure outside racing?

I'm a big fan of The Great British Baking Show, and enjoy baking.

Race I wish I had been there for…

It was before my time, but Mill Reef's victory in the 1971 Arc. He was such a cool, little horse.

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Trained by William Muir and Chris Grassick, Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) proved too good for last season's Arc hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the King George, and while his injury is not reported to be a serious one, it is enough to scupper plans to run at ParisLongchamp. 

“He's had a slight setback and we're gutted,” Muir said on Thursday. “I can't gallop him tomorrow or next week, we can keep going but I can't gallop him, otherwise he could end up being off for longer.

“It's very minor and it's a toss of a coin, but we had to make the decision. If I can't have him at 100 per cent like he was for the King George, there's no point in going for a race like the Arc.

“We're distraught, as we wanted to be in there, but that's life and we have to get on with it, we have to do right by him.”

Muir added, “It's very minor and my vet said this time next week he could be 100 per cent. The plan now will be to see if we can still go for the Breeders' Cup or the Japan Cup, whichever one, and then Hong Kong and the Sheema Classic.

“You don't get many good horses like this but he hasn't missed many (races). This is not like his last problem when he was sore, this is very small and as long as it goes the right way, we are in business-just not in time for the Arc.”

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William Muir has described the King George hero to be “jumping out of his skin” as he prepares for a tilt at the Arc and revealed Pyledriver could head straight to Paris without the benefit of a prep race.

Despite being a previous winner of the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, the G2 Great Voltigeur at York and the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom, the 5-year-old was a widely unconsidered 18-1 shot for last month's midsummer showpiece, but he could hardly have been more impressive in victory.

Muir, who trains Pyledriver in partnership with Chris Grassick, said in the immediate aftermath that his stable star would not run again before contesting Europe's premier middle-distance contest.

And while he is not completely ruling out a possible prep run in Kempton's G3 September S., a direct route to Paris remains his intention.

“Pyledriver is in super shape–he's jumping out of his skin,” he said. “I said to the lad who rides him I wanted to give him a break, but he said 'God, I had a job to stay with him this morning'. He's jumping and kicking and squealing and is in really good order.”

Muir added, “The plan is straight to the Arc. If there was any reason to give him a run, and this is so far at the back of my mind, there is the September S. at Kempton if we wanted to do that.

“I don't want to do that. I want to go straight to the Arc, then after that it will be one or the other of the Breeders' Cup or Japan and then on to Hong Kong.”

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It had been suggested that La Parisienne would be trained in America at some point in her career but part-owner Peter Bradley revealed on Monday that the filly will remain in the care of the father and son team of Carlos and Yann Lerner.

Reflecting on Sunday's race, Bradley told TDN Europe, “It was a bit gut-wrenching but, when you lose to a filly like Nashwa, you know it represented a huge step up from La Parisienne.”

He added, “It was amazing how Gérald Mosse rode her and, when he asked her to quicken, she produced a huge run. You really can't ask much more than for horse and rider to do their best and that they did.”

Bradley thinks La Parisienne possesses a lot of the key attributes needed to excel in America but admitted that the lure of some of the top races in France, including the Arc, is enough for connections to leave the star filly in training there.

Kentucky-based Bradley said, “Most of the time when I buy a horse, the plan is for them to come to America in the relatively near future and, judging by her first race, after which we bought her, she certainly looked like she had the turn of foot you love to see in American turf racing. 

“In America, you absolutely need a turn of foot because of our short straights, but in Europe, the straights are much bigger and a horse who grinds it out can get there.”

He added, “She looks like she would be a good fit for America and the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. would have been a good race for her but the timeframe rules that out because there is only three weeks until that race. 

“Coming into the French Oaks, the way she had been training, I really felt that she'd finish top six or seven and, with the talent in the race, said that, if she ran a top three finish, I'd be exceedingly happy. Given the way she ran, finishing a short neck behind one of the best fillies in Europe, she stamped herself as a filly who needs to stay in France.”

La Parisienne will be aimed at the Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp next with Bradley revealing that her trainers believe the best is yet to come from the filly.

He said, “We will give her an easy summer and maybe look at the Prix Vermeille then we'll see what October holds. We'll look at the Prix de l'Opéra and the Arc wouldn't be out of the question. 

“Team Lerner think she will be better with cut in the ground. They all think that soft ground is what she needs and, if that is the call, the autumn could be exciting.”

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Not Benoit Jeffroy, who manages Haras de Bouquetot on behalf of the Al Shaqab operation. Jeffroy has long been aware of the standing in which the multiple Classic-winning trainer has held Al Hakeem and, when the colt won the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly on Tuesday, he wasn't one bit surprised that Rouget told the French press that 'he reminds me a lot of Sottsass'.

“Jean-Claude is a straight-talking man and he says what he thinks. It was no surprise to us to hear what he said about Al Hakeem because he always told us that the horse was a colt with a lot of ability, he just needed to show it on the track,” Jeffroy explained.

High praise indeed for a horse who has graced the track just four times, winning three of those starts, with Tuesday's Chantilly victory a personal best by some way.

However, Jeffroy is predicting that Rouget's bold comparison between Sottsass and Al Hakeem can become evident to everyone when the highly progressive colt tackles the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on June 5.

“Who knows, maybe after the French Derby we can really start comparing him to Sottsass, let's wait and see,” he said.

“He is a great physical and, the fact that he showed what he could do at Chantilly the other day is very exciting with a view towards the French Derby.”

Jeffroy added, “There are a lot of similarities between Al Hakeem and Sottsass. They are by the same sire and have the same broodmare sire in Galileo (Ire).

“But the way this horse has been training, that's what reminds Jean-Claude most of Sottsass, as his work has been very good.

“Even as a 2-year-old, Jean Claude said that this might be the next Sottsass, the way he was training and behaving at home. Let's hope he is.”

It is that Siyouni cross with Galileo mares that not only produced one high-class colt in Sottsass but also St Mark's Basilica (Ire), hailed by Aidan O'Brien as 'possibly the best horse we've ever had at Ballydoyle,' after he scooped the prize for Horse of the Year at the 31st annual Cartier Racing Awards.

It may well be written in the stars for Al Hakeem but the comparables to Sottsass don't end with his pedigree. His dam, Jadhaba (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who showed classy form for Rouget before her career was cut short after she suffered a setback, was purchased by Al Shaqab for €620,000 at Arqana in 2014 from Ecurie des Monceaux, who also produced Sottsass.

“Jadhaba is a Galileo mare and, when it came to mating her, we felt that she needed a bit of speed, which is why we went to Siyouni,” he said.

“We thought the cross might work well and, not long afterwards, along came Sottsass and St Mark's Basilica, on the exact same cross. It just made a lot of sense.

“Galileo (Ire) crossed with Danehill has worked really well, as has Galileo and Pivotal, and she has got both. Hopefully Al Hakeem can be the third top-class colt from this cross.”

He added, “Jadhaba was in training with Jean-Claude as well. She was highly regarded and won twice as a 2-year-old and, after finishing third in a Group 3 on her only start at three, she developed a little issue so we had to stop. But she seems to have passed on a lot of her ability.”

If Al Hakeem can come good on Rouget's praise, it will stand the Al Shaqab operation in good stead for the future as she has a Siyouni filly at foot and is back in foal to the sire.

“Her first colt, Dahiya (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), won for Andre Fabre and Al Hakeem is only her second produce,” said Jeffroy of the broodmare.

“She also has a lovely Kingman (GB) filly in training with Jean-Claude, a very good looking Siyouni filly foal at foot and she is back in foal to Siyouni, so she could be an exciting young mare for us. She also has a Shalaa (Ire) yearling filly that is very similar to Jadhaba, a nice filly with good depth.

“Sheikh Joaan al Thani deserves it. He is passionate about the game and has invested a lot of money into it. He deserves to have bred a good one as a reward for all his investment.”

New dreams abound for a team that will forever be associated with Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), who carried the colours of Al Shaqab Racing en route to recording back-to-back Arcs in 2014.

Given Al Hakeem is being compared to another Arc winner in Sottsass, it seems fitting to ask if the mind has been allowed to wander as far as the great race on Oct. 1.

“No, step by step,” Jeffroy laughed. “The Arc is an important race and of course it's in the back of our minds but let's take it race by race and hopefully–hopefully it takes him one year less than it did for Sottsass!”

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“We saw her race for four seasons and she got better with every run,” Weld told racingpost.com. “She's right up there with the very best I've ever trained because she had some terrific qualities of determination, talent and class.”

Tarnawa was undefeated in 2020, capturing the Group 1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Opera before beating the boys in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, giving the world-travelling Weld his first win at the World Championships. She returned in 2021 to run second in both the G1 Irish Champion Stakes and the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, then did not fire in this year's edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar.

“She was in great form coming into the race but had an exceptionally tough race in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on extremely testing ground. She gave her all in trying to win the Arc,” Weld continued. “Combining that with the long travel to California just took the edge off her. She looked magnificent and everything was right with her, but the mental sharpness just wasn't quite there.”

Read more at racingpost.com.

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“I think this is what makes a really true champion, if they can go and defend their crown over different surfaces a year apart,” Weld said. “This will be a bigger challenge than last year for her, due to the firmer ground. Equally, she is a really, really good racemare who responds to each challenge she gets.”

Tarnawa is pre-entered in both the Turf and the Filly & Mare Turf, but Weld said she would most likely run against males to defend her title in the Turf.

In order to facilitate her return trip to the United States, Tarnawa had a later-than-normal start to her 2021 campaign. She commenced with a win in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown on Aug. 5, and was subsequently beaten just three-quarters of a length by St. Mark's Basilica in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes on Sept. 11. In her third start this year, the mare put in a valiant effort to fall just shy of a win in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

“She fought like a lioness, and unfortunately we just came up short and the ground was extremely testing,” said Weld. “She's a very brave filly, very tough, very genuine. She gives 110 percent every time she runs. When she came back from Paris she was tired for about a week, so we just took it easy with her… I've been very happy with her work for the past week.”

Weld, the 21-time champion trainer in Ireland, knows what it takes to win races internationally. A qualified veterinarian, Weld took over his father's yard (Charlie Weld) at the age of 24 after gaining early experience on the backstretch of Belmont Park. He has since trained top-level winners on four continents, and he remains the only European trainer to win a leg of the American Triple Crown: the 1990 Belmont Stakes with the aptly-named Go And Go.

A year later, Weld sent raiders to Hong Kong and saddled Additional Risk to win the International Hong Kong Mile. In 1993, Weld became the first European trainer to send out a winner in Australia's Melbourne Cup when Vintage Crop captured the “race that stops a nation.” He won a second Melbourne Cup with Media Puzzle in 2002, and has won a total of 10 stakes races in the United States.

Now 73, Weld is excited to travel to Del Mar for this year's Breeders' Cup. Due to pandemic restrictions he was unable to attend the races at Keeneland in 2020, so Weld had to celebrate the first Breeders' Cup win of his career from afar. This year, Weld hopes to see Tarnawa rise to the challenge at Del Mar in person.

“I appreciate that she handled what we would call good to firm ground in Kentucky, whereas I am well aware that what we face is going to be a lot quicker and is a concern,” Weld said. “I actually think she could be a slightly better mare this year. She's developed every year, and she's actually training a couple of kilos heavier than last year… She's a very professional racehorse, with such a great constitution.”

Tarnawa will be ridden by Colin Keane in the Turf, reuniting her with the jockey who piloted her to victory at Keeneland. Keane rode Tarnawa for her first two starts this year, but Christophe Soumillon was up for the Arc. Weld explained that Soumillon is the Aga Khan's retained rider in France, whereas Keane rides most of the horses in Ireland.

“(Keane) did win on her last year, and he gave her a perfect ride in the Irish Champion Stakes,” Weld said.

Weld also revealed that 2021 will be Tarnawa's final season of racing. The mare is pre-entered in the Hong Kong International Races on Dec. 12, but whether or not she makes that trip will be dependent on how she runs in the Breeders' Cup.

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