G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | Horse Racing Free Tips

Olivier Peslier to Ride Wonderful Tonight in the Arc

Former French champion jockey Olivier Peslier will ride multiple Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October, her trainer David Menuisier announced on Tuesday. The regular rider of the bay is William Buick, who will most likely be aboard one of Godolphin's duo of Classic winners Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) or Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the ParisLongchamp cornerstone.

“I think he is one of the best in the business,” said Menuisier of the veteran Frenchman. “He has the experience on his side, and he's ridden the filly as a 2-year-old when he won on her at Saint-Cloud.

“The plan was to keep him on last year. But I think it was a fracture of the jaw that sidelined him, so when she went to Longchamp [initially for the Prix de Thiberville last July] I had to use somebody else.

“Tony Piccone rode her–and because he rode her well, we kept the continuity. But Tony Piccone has gone to Hong Kong, and won't be back until October–and we felt it would be better to use somebody who, first of all, won the Arc several times. He's also ridden [in France] all year, and knows Longchamp like the back of his hand.”

Added the trainer, who is hoping to use Peslier in Wonderful Tonight's Arc prep races too, “I've known Olivier for 10 years. He's a friend, and I trust him 110% to do the job. Who wouldn't be keen [to ride Wonderful Tonight]? She has a live chance–well, we feel she's a live chance, in the Arc. Obviously he's delighted to have been called up.”

The 4-year-old filly is riding a four-racing winning streak, having triumphed in the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. at Goodwood on July 31. Her winning thread started with a 1 1/4-length victory in the G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp on Arc Day and continued in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. on Oct. 17. Resuming at Royal Ascot, Wonderful Tonight added the G2 Hardwicke S. to her haul on June 19.

Although her next targets have not been confirmed, the Aug. 19 G1 Yorkshire Oaks is a possibility and Peslier is likely to be aboard Menuisier's star pupil regardless of which contest is selected.

“It's part of the plan,” added Menuisier. “He's made himself available to ride the filly wherever she goes.

“Thinking of the big one down the line, I think it would be good if he could have sat on her at least once and, in an ideal world, twice before the Arc.

“I don't want the filly to have too many hard battles before the big day–so she'll get to the race as fresh as she can, knowing that we're not having a summer break.”

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Future Targets Outlined For Mishriff and Lord North

After his victory in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday, Prince Faisal's Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) exited the race well. A potential long-term goal for the bay is the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October. Successful in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at three for trainer John Gosden, who now trains with his son Thady, the 4-year-old colt saluted in the $20-million Saudi Cup on dirt in Riyadh on Feb. 20 before switching back to grass for his Meydan appearance. It was his first try at the Arc's 1 1/2-mile trip and he will now receive a freshening.

“I will discuss it with Prince Faisal, but it was always the plan to see if he could be an Arc horse and I think he proved he gets the mile and a half,” Gosden said of Mishriff on Racing TV's Luck On Sunday programme. “They went quick to the bend, then they slowed it up and he finished well, so I think he'll freshen for the summer.

“My feeling would be races like the Eclipse, the Juddmonte International, the Arc and the King George. Those are the races to be looking at and seeing where we are at the time. That's a long way off. He deserves a pretty good holiday.”

One race that is most likely off the table is the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in the fall.

“Having had a lot of success at Del Mar over the years I do know that straight very well and I always feel they should pick up the finishing wire and move it another 100 yards down,” he said. “It's a very short straight and a different style of racing. You've got to have real tactical speed and you ping off the bend. This is a horse who enjoys the length of the straight. I don't think it's going to suit him.”

His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the G1 Dubai Turf earlier on the Dubai World Cup card, as well as the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. last June, will target the latter race after a break as well.

Gosden added of Lord North, “I think he'll go back for the Prince of Wales's S. again [at Royal Ascot]. We'll freshen him up now for the summer.”

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Champion Enable Scanned In Foal to Kingman

Champion and dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) was scanned in foal to Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Juddmonte announced via Twitter on Monday. The 7-year-old was retired in October last year after ending her career with a sixth in the Arc earlier that month. She was covered by the fellow Juddmonte homebred just over two weeks ago.

“Fifteen days after cover, champion Enable was this morning successfully scanned in foal to Kingman,” Juddmonte tweeted. “Hopefully an exciting new chapter in this remarkable mare's story.”

One of the greatest racehorses owned and bred by the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, Enable graced the racecourse for five seasons with 11 Group 1 wins from 19 starts including the Oaks, Irish Oaks, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe twice and three victories in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Her earnings stand at £10.7 million.

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Turf, Dirt No Problem

The John Gosden-trained, Prince Faisal homebred Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) stole the show in Saturday's $20-million Saudi Cup. Gary King caught up with Ted Voute, racing manager to Prince Faisal, on Monday morning to reflect on the win.

GK: Prince Faisal has enjoyed incredible success in the bloodstock world over the years, which includes breeding and racing Invincible Spirit (Ire). Where does this victory rank?

TV: I think being on his home dirt, as it were, I would have to say Mishriff has made Prince Faisal a very proud man. Having named him after one of his closest friends soon after his death, and having named a horse Mishriff in the past who broke down, for Mishriff to win in front of his family in his homeland was a thrill he will never forget.

GK: Could you tell us a little bit more about Prince Faisal's breeding operation?

TV: He has 11 mares which all board with me at our farm in the village of Eydon, England.

GK: It was such a fantastic performance, beating two of America's best dirt horses in Charlatan and Knicks Go. Should we expect to see him running this summer and autumn in America?

TV: The racing programme hasn't been discussed by John Gosden and Prince Faisal yet, but I know that the G1 Juddmonte International at York, which throws up some of the best horses every year, would be dear to Prince Faisal. To add a domestic Group 1 to his CV would be the next logical step.

But I'm sure Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and the G1 Eclipse at Sandown would be high on the agenda. He's in the G1 Dubai World Cup and the GI Breeders' Classic, more because I persuaded the boss to enter in case we won.

GK: So would the GI Breeders' Cup Classic now be a logical end of season goal?

TV: He has already formed an interesting CV winning at two, three and four over various distances, going and surfaces. As I have said there are no set plans, but the end of the year brings the G1 Arc, the G1 Champion S., and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

It's a long time away and I don't know about the Prince but I would be torn between the Arc and the Classic. I would like to see him amass credentials to make him attractive as a stallion to studs in the U.S., Japan or Europe. His win on Saturday has certainly not gone unnoticed from farms in all three jurisdictions.

GK: His dam, Contradict (GB), is obviously a highly valuable part of the broodmare band now. Could you tell us about the mare, and who she has been covered by over the last few seasons?

TV: Contradict was originally in training with Sir Micheal Stoute as a 2-year-old and was placed second and third. Determined to get her to win a small race she went to Mick Channon who won at Salisbury and was fourth in a listed race.

Her first foal by Invincible Spirit (Ire), close inbreeding to Rafha (GB), was stakes winning Orbaan (GB) who was with Andre Fabre. Her second was stakes placed Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) who Roger Charlton trained and raced in the 1351 Turf Sprint on Saturday and is now in Saudi Arabia. She is three-for-three black-type.

She went to Invincible Spirit for two years and was barren and also barren to Frankel (GB). She is currently in foal to Frankel and due at the beginning of March. She will visit Make Believe (GB) this year, and is currently at Coolmore waiting to foal.

GK: And finally, a few words about John Gosden and David Egan?

TV: For David Egan it was a life changing moment for a young talented rider. Even with his $100,000 fine for excessive [whip] use I am sure he will have enough left over to buy a nice house. From a wide draw, he kept Mishriff out of the kick back and produced him at exactly the right time, waiting for the U.S. horses to battle it out in front.

John Gosden is the best trainer in England. To train a horse in the winter months on his own is a phenomenal feat. I also sent him New Treasure (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) who was third in the Saudi Derby having bought him in the Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale [90,000gns from Jim Bolger's Glebe House Stables].

Mr. Gosden's staff have had all the COVID restrictions to contend with in travel, and Thady Gosden did a first-class job handling his training after his arrival where he blossomed each day he was there.

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