Classic Winners On Course For Arc

The St Leger winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) remains on course to attempt an historic follow-up in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe next Sunday. The colt, who also won the G2 Great Voltigeur S. on good to firm ground at York en route to his Classic triumph in much softer conditions, would need to be supplemented for the Arc on Wednesday at a cost of €120,000.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon, his trainer Aidan O'Brien told TDN, “The plan is for him to run in the Arc as long as everything remains well with him up to the supplementary stage. He appears to have come out of Doncaster very well and we don't feel that he is ground-dependent.”

Also heading towards Longchamp next weekend is the 2021 Deutsches Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}) following his late scratching from Sunday's G1 Preis von Europa over ground concerns.

Holger Faust, racing manager for Sisfahan's owner Darius Racing, said, “Due to the fact that the ground in Cologne has received more water in the last few days than was previously expected and is now stated as soft, Sisfahan was withdrawn this morning and is now scheduled to race next Sunday in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In Paris, as of today, the ground, the track and the expected fast pace of the race should suit him.”

Another Classic winner given a positive update ahead of next Sunday's big race is Juddmonte's Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), last season's Irish Derby winner, who later finished sixth in the Arc. Successful in this year's Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before finishing a close second to Hukum (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., the Ralph Beckett trainee has recently been given a racecourse gallop followed by a trip to the beach.

“Westover went to Salisbury last Friday and to Hayling Island beach this Friday and both exercises went well,” said Beckett.

“It suited him to just take the edge off him ahead of Longchamp and he's shown he can handle any ground between the extremes.”

It is expected to be a largely dry week in Paris, with the long-range forecast showing the possibility of some rain on Saturday morning. 

 

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Sisfahan Heads to Saudi Cup Meeting

Germany's champion trainer Henk Grewe will keep hold of his 2021 G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}), who will remain in training at five and is set to be aimed at the $2.5 million G3 Red Sea Turf Cup H. on the Saudi Cup card on February 25.

“It was the plan to run him there last year, but he got injured, so it was disappointing to miss the race,” said Holger Faust, racing manager to Darius Racing, who own Sisfahan with Michael Motschmann.

“We've been thinking about it all year and I'm glad he's come back at the right time this year, so he's ready for the race.”

Having been sidelined since the Breeders' Cup Turf of 2021, the four-year-old returned in the G1 Preis von Europa in September, and went on to win G2 Gran Premio Jockey Club at San Siro a month later before finishing third in the G2 Premio Federico Tesio in mid-November. 

“He had a fracture and an operation in January and for a horse to come back in September is quite early,” Faust explained. “We didn't really have a race for him, but we decided to bring him back in a Group 1 because it was on his home track. He finished last in that race, but we were all fine with that and with his performance.

“We were quite confident for the race in Italy. He won that race and it was brilliant to see him coming back like this.”

Faust feels that the 3,000-metre Red Sea Turf Cup will be within his capabilities. 

He added, “When jockeys ride him, they say he's hard to stop after his races, so he's got this attitude and he looks like a real stayer.

“The races in the spring in Germany, they are not really attractive for a Group 1 winner. Even though the Red Sea Turf is a Group 3 race, it has a high value and it makes sense to run a Group 1 horse in those kind of races.

“We thought this way we can give him a pause and then bring him back to European races when the Grand Prix season starts, which in Germany is at the end of July.

“The Saudi Cup meeting perfectly suits him now, being at the end of February, and if he performs in Saudi Arabia, it's possible for him to run on the big day in Dubai as well. Then if everything works out and the horse is sound, he gets a nice break before we see him again.”

British-based Jack Mitchell has ridden Sisfahan in his last three starts and is expected to be back on board in Riyadh.

 

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German Derby Winner Sisfahan To Breeders’ Cup

Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}), winner of the G1 Deutsches Derby and second to Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, will travel to Del Mar for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf.

“Sisfahan should make his next start in the USA,” confirmed Holger Faust, racing manager to the colt's owner Dr Stefan Oschmann of Darius Racing.

“On his last start in Cologne he was [third] behind Alpinista (GB), who beat Torquator Tasso in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, and in Baden-Baden Sisfahan was only one length behind Torquator Tasso, perhaps the best 2400-metre turf horse in the world. So we approach the American trip with optimism and hope for a fast-run race.”

Sisfahan, who hails from the first crop of fellow German Derby winner Isfahan, represents Germany's champion trainer Henk Grewe, who saddled Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) for last year's Breeders' Cup Turf for the same owner.

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