Two-time Group 1 winner Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), runner-up in last October's G1 QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot, will not compete in Sunday's G2 Grand Prix de Deauville and instead wait for the G2 Prix Foy on Sept. 12, trainer Jerome Reynier revealed on Thursday. The Champion S. is the charismatic grey gelding's end-of-season goal.
“He is very good–we're very happy with him,” said Reynier. “We've decided not to go to the Grand Prix de Deauville because the ground is too firm, and by the end of the meeting it could be very patchy and dangerous for the horse.
“We think the [G2] Prix Dollar–two weeks prior to the Champion S., which is his aim–would be too close.
“We think the Prix Foy would be a better prep race. It's five weeks prior to the Champion S.–but I'm just thinking about all the factors. The ground is a big factor, because we'd like to run him on soft ground, so we will keep our options open as well.
“It's [the Champion S.] definitely our aim–we are targeting this race and trying to win it.”
Since running unplaced in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December, Skalleti, who races for Jean-Claude Seroul, has been flawless in four starts this year. He kicked his season off with a 3 ½-length win in the G3 Prix Exbury at Saint-Cloud on Mar. 21, and added the Apr. 11 G2 Prix d'Harcourt and the G1 Prix d'Ispahan in May. In his latest appearance, the 6-year-old gelding drew off to take the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayeriches Zuchtrennen by five lengths at Munich on July 25.
Group 1 winner Marianafoot (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), who also races for the Jerome Reynier/Jean-Claude Seroul axis, has had his next start outlined. The ultra-consistent 6-year-old entire is currently riding an eight-race winning streak and is targeting the G1 Prix de la Foret on Oct. 3.
“We're aiming for the Prix de la Foret for the Arc weekend–that will be his final race probably,” said Reynier. “We're happy with him–he's in good shape and he's won two group races in Longchamp. That will be his final race, so we'll be trying to be competitive.”
Marianafoot has already made seven winning starts this year, with his third listed win arriving in April. He then claimed the G3 Prix du Palais-Royal at ParisLongchamp on May 30 and the July 1 G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot. In his latest start, he won his first Group 1, the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
“They're [the owners] so happy with both of them–for 6-year-olds to be so competitive and in such great form is amazing for the team. We're doing well. We've won 13 or 14 good races this year, and that is amazing.”
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