All Roads Lead to ParisLongchamp for Westover

Last year's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is poised to head directly to France where he'll get a second chance at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 12 months after running sixth in last year's renewal over unsuitably testing ground.

The Ralph Beckett-trainee is currently enjoying a break at his trainer's Kimpton Down base and the connections are keen to follow last year's route to the Bois de Boulogne–with a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup also in the planner following his attempt at Europe's richest middle-distance contest on Oct. 1.

A head second to multiple Group 1 winner Hukum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in Ascot's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., hopes are high that the son of Frankel can build on last year's finishing position.

“He came out of the King George great and he's having a little break now at Ralph's,” said Barry Mahon, the European racing manager for owners Juddmonte. “He's been on the go early this year having been to Dubai and then recently had two quick runs, so I think he's thinking he'll freshen him up and go to the Arc then on to the Breeders' Cup.”

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Frankel’s Arrest Makes All In Geoffrey Freer Test

Juddmonte's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Nisriyna {Ire}, by Intikhab) had failed to build upon a wide-margin triumph in May's G3 Chester Vase, but regained the winning thread and punched his ticket to next month's G1 St Leger with a pillar-to-post victory in Saturday's G3 BetVictor Geoffrey Freer S at Newbury.

Remaining out wide lobbing along on the lead before taking the shortest route around the sweeping home turn, the 5-6 favourite was shaken up in the centre of the track with three furlongs remaining and maintained a high tempo inside the final quarter-mile to easily withstand the late threat of Ching Shih (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) by a geared-down 1 1/2 lengths. Roger Varian trainee Shandoz (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) fared best of the remainder and finished six lengths adrift in third.

The G1 Derby 10th and G2 King Edward VII S. fifth becomes a record-breaking fifth winner of the contest for Frankie Dettori and a first for the Gosden stable since Presenting (GB) (Mtoto {GB}) obliged in 1995.

“Everyone expected the ground to be a bog, but it's good-to-soft, and he was the Derby favourite so he had to do that,” said Dettori. “He's one card for the St Leger, but let's see how Gregory gets on next Wednesday [in the G2 Great Voltigeur]. He's one of a bunch of top horses John [Gosden] is sending to York, it's a very strong team and I can't wait. Soft ground is not an issue with him and if it's soft at Doncaster it would be fine.”

 

Pedigree Notes
Arrest is the seventh of nine foals and one of six scorers from as many runners out of an unraced half-sister to MGSW G1 Nassau S. and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud placegetter Narniyn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and multiple stakes winner Temerity (Ind) (Intense Focus). The April-foaled bay is a half-brother to GSW G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup third Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}), Listed Rous S. third Spring Loaded (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) and a weanling colt by Dark Angel (Ire). Descendants of his third dam Noufiyla (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}) include MGSW G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup runner-up Maiden Tower (GB) (Groom Dancer) and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Copperbeech (Ire) (Red Ransom).

Saturday, Newbury, Britain
BETVICTOR GEOFFREY FREER S.-G3, £70,000, Newbury, 8-19, 3yo/up, 13f 61yT, 2:53.79, g/s.
1–ARREST (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Nisriyna (Ire), by Intikhab
2nd Dam: Narmina (Ire), by Alhaarth (Ire)
3rd Dam: Noufiyla (Ire), by Top Ville (Ire)
(€440,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV). O-Juddmonte; B-Swordlestown Little (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £39,697. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 8-4-1-1, $216,481. *1/2 to Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-HK, $1,509,980; and Spring Loaded (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), SP-Eng, $300,332. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ching Shih (Ire), 130, f, 4, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Madame Chiang (GB), by Archipenko. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (IRE); T-David Simcock. £15,050.
3–Shandoz (GB), 133, g, 6, Golden Horn (GB)–Shabyt (GB), by Sadler's Wells. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Hesmonds Stud Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian. £7,532.
Margins: 1HF, 6, 2. Odds: 0.83, 20.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Luisa Casati (Ire), Kemari (GB), Jack Darcy (Ire), Klondike (GB). Scratched: Enemy (GB).

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TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow Takes Aim at the Futurity Stakes

In a season when even by their exalted standards Ballydoyle seem to be boasting more than the average amount of highly talented juveniles, Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity S. at The Curragh on Saturday. Earning TDN Rising Star status when beating the subsequent Galway maiden winner and G3 Prix Francois Boutin runner-up Mythology (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) hollow on debut over this course and seven-furlong distance last month, the son of  Minding (Ire) (Galileo {GB}) is as exciting as it gets at this time of year.

Ryan Moore has an idea where his mount stands, but admits this will tell connections a lot more. “This is clearly up another grade or two but we have an excellent record in this race, winning it with some top-class future Classic winners and hopefully Henry Longfellow can stamp himself as a candidate for future group 1 honours too,” he said in his betfair blog. “But let's not get ahead of ourselves, as his bare form to date means this is a tough enough task in its own right, even with just four rivals.”

Among them is Vincent Gaul's Spanish Flame (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), who took Tipperary's Glenvale Stud Race over nearly 7 1/2 furlongs last month and who is held in high regard by Ger Lyons.

Chesham Rematch In The Debutante…
In the seven-furlong G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S., Lindsay Laroche's unbeaten Snellen (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) renews rivalry with Ballydoyle's Pearls And Rubies (No Nay Never) who she narrowly edged out when last seen in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S. Dropping back to an extended six furlongs in this track's G3 Anglesey S. last month only confirmed that the latter needs at least this trip.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell said of Snellen, “We gave her a short break after Ascot and she's done well since and we're looking forward to Saturday. She's going to have to come forward, but we're hopeful she has done. Everything has been straightforward with her since Ascot.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Pearls And Rubies, “She's in good form and she won't mind an ease in the ground either. We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but Ryan [Moore] said to maybe go a bit further, he said she was coming home well but the line just came too quick for her.”

Hungerford Test For Mostabshir…
   Newbury sees the G2 Hungerford S. over seven furlongs, where Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Mostabshir (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) drop back in trip following his sixth in the G1 St James's Palace S. and fourth in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. The half-brother to Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) most likely has his best days ahead of him but this is a tough call for 3-year-olds taking on hardened older horses and specialists at the trip like Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) and last year's winner Jumby (Ire) (New Bay {GB}).

“He's an interesting horse and a horse who works very well at home and shows plenty of ability there,” racing manager Angus Gold said. “I'm not quite sure he has fulfilled his potential so far on the racecourse. He won very well at York obviously earlier in the year and on his day he's capable of putting up a good performance, but he really needs to step up to the plate now. He's been a bit immature, but like everything out of his mare, hopefully he is only going to get better as he gets older.”

Calvados Heads Deauville Action…
Deauville's August Festival continues apace, with the seven-furlong G2 Prix du Calvados for 2-year-old fillies featuring Gerard Augustin-Normand's course-and-distance G3 Prix Six Perfections winner Laulne (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles-winning TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never). Adding intrigue is Amo Racing Limited's Qatar Goodwood Festival winner Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), while the card's other group 2 is the 12 1/2-furlong Prix de Pomone, where Juddmonte's G3 Prix de Royaumont scorer Ottery (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) could have more to offer.

Morny Humdinger In Store For Sunday…
Friday saw the draw made for Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny and it did not disappoint as the 2-year-old race of the season attracted the G2 Coventry S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin-winning TDN Rising Stars River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Ramatuelle (Justify) respectively. Also in the line-up are the G2 July S. winner Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), the G2 Norfolk S. scorer Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), G2 Richmond S. scorer Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and the G3 Prix de Cabourg winner Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), as well as the G3 Princess Margaret S. winner Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). A field of eight will contest the same card's G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet, where the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is set to encounter the G1 Prix Rothschild winner Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

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Cox Team Readies for Next Test at Saratoga

Trainer Brad Cox sent out a host of graded-stakes winners for workouts at Saratoga this weekend, including GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Wet Paint (Blame), who is targeting Saturday's GI Alabama S.

The Godolphin homebred posted her second work since her Oaks victory, covering five furlongs in 1:02.24 over the Oklahoma dirt training track in company with recent allowance winner and GSP Slip Mahoney.

“1:02 and a super good work,” said Cox. “She's been very steady and very good up here in the mornings. I like the way she came out of it and she's set up to go the mile and a quarter.”

Cox also sent out Godolphin's Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) for a sharp five-furlong move in :59.22 over the Oklahoma track Saturday, her penultimate work before the GI Ballerina H. Aug. 26.

“Awesome work. It was very quick and good, not just quick,” said Cox. “A good gallop out as well, so she's set up for the Ballerina.”

Matareya was last seen finishing third in the June 24

GIII Chicago S. at Ellis behind Steve Asmussen trainee Society (Gun Runner), who also worked five-eighths in 1:00 flat Sunday over the Oklahoma main track.

Victorious in last season's GI Acorn S., Matareya took the GI Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs two starts back.

On Sunday, Miacomet Farm's Heavenly Sunday (Candy Ride) breezed over the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for Saturday's GII Lake Placid S. She was last see finishing second in the July 1 Tepin S. at Ellis.

“She's doing great. It was an awesome breeze, and all of her works here over the turf have been great,” said Cox. “I love her gallop outs and the way she's acting. I'm super pleased with her and hopefully, we get a good setup.”

Cox indicated a decision has not been made as to where Juddmonte's Set Piece would return following a win in Saturday's GI Arlington Million at Colonial Downs.

“I'll talk it over with Prince Khalid and his family and make a decision,” said Cox.

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