Enable on Course for Kempton

Dual G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is pleasing connections ahead of a start in the G3 September S. over the Kempton synthetic on Sept. 5. The 6-year-old Juddmonte silksbearer took the 2018 September S. in advance of her second Arc crown. Second in that ParisLongchamp showpiece in 2019, the John Gosden trainee was also runner-up in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. to Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) this July, but was back in top form in the G1 King George Vi & Queen Elizabeth S. on July 25.

Enable’s Arc opposition is arguably the stiffest yet, as since the Coral-Eclipse Ghaiyyath rolled by three lengths in the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York on Aug. 19 after taking the G1 Coronation Cup S. in June, his third Group 1 on the bounce.  Standout Aidan O’Brien filly Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was also boosting her reputation recently with a victory in the Aug. 20 G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks and looms a formidable rival in the Arc. Racing for the Coolmore partners, the sophomore miss claimed that Knavesmire contest by five lengths. In the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas, the blaze-faced chestnut had drawn off by 4 1/4 lengths and her margin of victory in Epsom’s G1 Investec Oas was nine lengths.

“What we saw from both was no great surprise, really,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid Abdullah. “Both of them had very strong form going into their races–they were both favourites and both won well. Really they just proved what very good horses they are, but I think we already knew that–it wasn’t a surprise.

“Enable is in good form, anyway, and still on course for Kempton. Come the Arc, what will be will be. It won’t be just those two we’ll have to worry about. The Arc is so well revered for a reason-all the opposition merits respect. No Arc is ever easy.”

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St Leger Gains Pyledriver, Hukum Also Possible

MGSW Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), who won the G2 Great Voltigeur S. on Aug. 19, has been confirmed for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster on Sept. 12, Racing Post reported on Sunday. Trainer William Muir confirmed the news, with the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, also on Sept. 12, off the table.

The La Pyle Partnership, consisting of owner/breeders Roger Devlin and brothers Guy and Hugh Leach, raced Pyledriver to a listed success at two. The colt ran second in the G3 Unibet Classic Trial S. over the Kempton all-weather on June 3, before burnishing his G1 Investec Derby claims with a two-length victory in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot later that month. After a difficult run in the July 4 Derby, Pyledriver sped to a 3 1/2-length score in the Great Voltigeur.

“The plan at the moment is to look at the Leger as long as I’m happy with him-and he looks to be in superb form,” Muir told Racing Post. “He’s in the Grand Prix de Paris, but the Leger is for 3-year-olds only, it’s a Classic and at this stage, that’s where we’re going. The owners said you only get one crack at a Classic and the worst that can happen is that he doesn’t stay, he gets beaten and we put him away for the year.”

Shadwell’s Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury on Aug. 15, is another under consideration for the final Classic of the British season. A winner at second asking at Kempton last November, Hukum took the King George V S. at Royal Ascot on June 17 before his Geoffrey Freer success.

Trainer Owen Burrows said, “Touch wood, he’s come out of the race very well, but nothing has been finalised as to where he’ll go next. He certainly wasn’t stopping at either Ascot or Newbury, so I can’t see the trip being an issue, but I have to keep stressing he shows plenty of pace at home and is not simply a stayer.

“I thought William Muir’s horse was very impressive in the Great Voltigeur, especially with a penalty, but you’d have to say Aidan [O’Brien] appears to hold all the cards with Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) and a few others. But, this year more than any, if you think you might have a horse for it you’ll be tempted to go. We’ll speak to Sheikh Hamdan, but the Leger does look the logical next step.”

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Donjah’s Long Term Goal is the Arc

German Group 1 winner Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}), who won the G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne on Aug. 15, is pointing toward the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as her season finale on Oct. 4. The Darius Racing colourbearer will first step forward in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden on Sept. 13, but trainer Henk Grewe is pleased with how the 4-year-old filly has come out of her latest effort.

“Donjah is a horse apart,” Grewe told the France Galop notes team. “She is fantastic. Our plan is to aim for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. She has nothing to lose and everything to win. She has achieved everything that we have asked of her. We would like to her to run in the Grosser Preis von Baden, before heading to the big French race. 2020 is her final year of competition.”

A winner of the G3 Grosser Preis Herzog von Ratibor Rennen as a juvenile, the bay was second in the Grosser Preis von Baden to Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), third in the G1 Preis von Europa and successful in Italy’s G2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro last term. She was fourth in the G2 Gross Hansa Preis in her 4-year-old bow at Hamburg on July 11.

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New Tattersalls Fixture Gets Underway

There’s nothing very familiar about this year, and in an ever-changing sales schedule, a new auction takes place this week at Tattersalls. The mixed August Sale was originally intended to take place over two days but, such was the demand for places, it has been extended to three, starting on Monday at Park Paddocks.

That a sale consisting largely of horses in training has attracted such a large entry so soon after the traditional Tattersalls July Sale is not necessarily a positive sign for British racing. But while some owners are clearly eager to move horses on, the sale was welcomed in some quarters for the fact that it takes place before the start of the yearling sales, thus giving people a chance to reinvest, and we must all hope that is indeed what happens.

The July Sale performed remarkably well this year, with 330 of the 344 horses offered being sold at an extraordinary 96% clearance rate. Tattersalls will be delighted if a similar level of trade is seen this week for the 600 or so horses who will appear once withdrawals are taken into account.

Recent form always counts for plenty at such auctions and the well-related Surf Dancer (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who sells as lot 706 from William Haggas’s Somerville Lodge, has a York listed win to his credit this season among his three wins from eight starts.

Among five horses consigned by Ballydoyle is Battle Of Liege (War Front) (lot 386), a 3-year-old brother to Evie Stockwell’s Group 1 winners Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna who won a novice race last season and is currently rated 82.

Breeders on the lookout for a filly with a decent page will doubtless peruse the drafts from major breeders Juddmonte and Shadwell. Among the draft of 21 fillies, colts and geldings from Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms is lot 445, Sophistry (GB) (Make Believe {GB}), an unraced half-sister to G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Epicuris (GB) (Rail Link {GB}) whose juvenile Frankel (GB) half-sister has been placed in France since the catalogue was printed. Also of dual-purpose or international interest is the 104-rated 5-year-old gelding Crossed Baton (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 423), who was a listed winner at three and four over 10 furlongs.

There is also one wild-card entry, an 80-rated 2-year-old filly who will be sold on Monday as lot 199A. Named Ocean Star (Ire), the daughter of Adaay (Ire) is trained by Archie Watson and won over seven furlongs at Chepstow on Aug. 14 after finishing runner-up in two of her three previous starts.

Tattersalls’ Park Paddocks sales ground will be extra busy this year with the Ascot Yearling Sale having been relocated there on its new date of Sept. 7, followed by the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which is also being staged in Newmarket this year, from Sept. 21 to 23.

 

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