Sunday previews | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saint-Cloud: Juvenile Features Dominate Sunday Action

Saint-Cloud stage the key fayre on Sunday, with the G1 Criterium International and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud offering the juvenile crop a late opportunity to flaunt Classic pretensions. In the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Ballydoyle look for their first winner since 2010 with the impressive Curragh maiden winner Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) while the Joseph O'Brien-trained compatriot Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will provide clues as to the merit of his G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. conqueror Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Godolphin's unbeaten Andre Fabre-trained TDN Rising Star Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) is also in the mix along with Bernardine and Sean Mulryan's Haynes, Hanson & Clark S. winner Bracken's Laugh (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). His trainer Richard Hughes said, “It's a big ask going into such a race on just your second start, but that's why I ran him in a winner's race at Newbury. He needed to run in a proper race to prove himself and I feel he did that on the day, he made up a two or three lengths on a couple of winners and won well at the line and he proved he goes on the heavy ground.”

“When you spend 200,000gns on a horse you hope you are buying a superstar and I stuck my neck on the line for this fella,” Hughes added. “He's a huge horse and he did a very good breeze back in May when he shouldn't have been able. He's got an abundance of pace and he's bred to stay a minimum of a mile and a half. I feel I have ticked all the boxes other than having only run once.”

In the Criterium International, another TDN Rising Star from the Fabre stable is Baron Edouard De Rothschild's Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), who beat the re-opposing Saganti (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon over this mile trip and track last month. Guy Pariente, Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's G2 Champagne S. runner-up Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) is a key opponent and trainer David Menuisier believes he has a measure of the merit of Alcantor. “It's the form line of the Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud, when we finished fourth with Devil's Point and Andre Fabre's horse looks really good,” he said. “We respect the opposition but the horse is really well and I'm counting on him for a big run.”

The post Saint-Cloud: Juvenile Features Dominate Sunday Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

ParisLongchamp: Moulin Opportunity For Big Rock

With no Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) lurking in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, the way is clear for Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) to bag that elite contest that his portfolio demands.

Having met his match in Ace Impact (Ire) in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, Yeguada Centurion SL's G3 Prix de Guiche and G3 Prix la Force winner came up short against Cheveley Park Stud's high-class filly in Deauville's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois last month but that form looks enough in what is a winnable renewal on paper.

Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) has proven himself at this level on his last two starts, finishing third in a blanket in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan over another furlong and 55 yards before making Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) work in the G1 Sussex S.

“Even though it's back in four and a half weeks which sounds like a reasonable amount of time, in the back of my mind I'm hoping he doesn't react to that last race, it certainly knocked out Paddington,” Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin said. “We are hopeful for a good race because Big Rock likes to go off in front and we need to have a target. The races where he hasn't ran quite up to scratch this year are when he got too far behind in a paceless race.”

Derby Rematch At Baden-Baden

In the day's G1 153rd Wettstar.de Grosser Preis von Baden, the G1 Deutsches Derby one-two Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}) resume their rivalry, with the former having to bounce back from a beating from Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich in late July. TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood arrives fresh after a break since the Hamburg Classic and may offer the sternest threat to Ecurie Altima and Gerard Augustin-Normand's standard-setting G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-placed Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}).

Rochette Task For Beauvatier

Back at ParisLongchamp, Philippe Allaire and Haras d'Etreham's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure-winning TDN Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) bids to maintain his unbeaten record in the seven-furlong G3 Prix la Rochette, where he meets fellow TDN Rising Star Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}). White Birch Farm's grey is up a furlong, having finished third in Deauville's G3 Prix de Cabourg. In the 10-furlong G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, the exciting G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) builds towards a major autumn target in the Gousserie silks made famous by a similar type in Sealiway (Fr).

The post ParisLongchamp: Moulin Opportunity For Big Rock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Deauville: Can Chaldean Get Back On Track In The Jean Prat?

Having succumbed to Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 St James's Palace S., Juddmonte's Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) lines up in Deauville's G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat on Sunday with reputation intact 24 hours on from the Eclipse heroics of that ascendant peer. This is an unusual target for a 2000 Guineas winner, but the pace that the Kingsclere star displayed initially at Royal Ascot suggests the seven-furlong contest will be a perfect fit. That early speed also won out in the Champagne, the Dewhurst and the Guineas itself when the re-opposing Hi Royal (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was closest at the line and will be a potent weapon on this straight track.

“He's a Dewhurst winner over seven furlongs and a multiple group-race winner over that distance, so hopefully that won't inconvenience him,” the operation's European racing manager Barry Mahon. “Oisin is a top-class rider and I'm sure he can jump into any situation and swim rather than sink. He knows the horse and has ridden him plenty at home, so I'm sure he'll be fine.”

Meditating On The Opposition

Aidan O'Brien collected 12 months ago with Tenebrism (Caravaggio), who was dropping back in trip after failing to land a blow in the 1000 Guineas and Coronation, but Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) has something to find attempting the same feat having been disappointing handed the run of the race at Royal Ascot. While she was taking a backward step at the Royal meeting, Nurlan Bizakov's Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was seen going the other way as he worked into third in the St James's Palace. Of the French, TDN Rising Star Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great) has outside claims based on his latest success in the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac over this trip at his favoured ParisLongchamp but along with his course-and-distance G3 Prix Djebel conqueror Good Guess (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) has a class gap to bridge to get to the standard of the overseas contingent.

All Eyes On Beauvatier

Deauville's major August festival is on the horizon and the scrimmaging for leading domestic juvenile is well underway, so the performance of the unbeaten TDN Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure will be closely scrutinised. Having beaten the wide-margin G3 Prix du Bois winner Ramatuelle (Justify) in a six-furlong conditions event at Saint-Cloud in May, Philippe Allaire's representative is up in trip for the third time in three starts as he tackles a seventh here. Laying in wait is The Aga Khan's 6 1/2-furlong ParisLongchamp winner Zabiari (GB) who looks to continue the golden run of Wootton Bassett (GB).

The post Deauville: Can Chaldean Get Back On Track In The Jean Prat? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Can Tahiyra Make Amends For Guineas Eclipse?

Outbattled at Newmarket, The Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) returns to The Curragh for what could prove ample compensation in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. Unable to provide Dermot Weld with that elusive 1000 Guineas victory, the G1 Moyglare S.-winning TDN Rising Star bids to give her trainer a sixth of these. “She was a bit tired after the race, but she travelled home on the ferry and came home well and then she has picked up nicely and we've been pleased with her,” her trainer said. “It was a massive performance.”

Meditate Looks For Revenge

Well adrift of Tahiyra in the 1000 Guineas, it will be interesting to see if Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) can get closer than in the Moyglare when she trailed her by 2 1/4 lengths on contrasting ground. Her subsequent success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf showed how deadly she can be when the surface rides fast and she would not be the first Ballydoyle representative to come from an unplaced effort at Newmarket and return to winning ways in a Curragh equivalent. “Meditate is very classy, has always been very good, and everything has gone very well with her since Newmarket,” O'Brien said. “She didn't have a real clear run through the whole winter into the spring.”

Out Of The Silence

If Tahiyra and Meditate take prominence here, then Moyglare Stud's homebred Eternal Silence (War Front) has a squeak given that she was still a maiden when third behind them in the race named after her owner-breeder's operation. From the Jessie Harrington stable which can do no wrong at present, the daughter of the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Princess Highway (Street Cry {Ire}) has the scope to have progressed markedly in the interim. “It's been a frustrating Spring with Eternal Silence, as she was meant to run in a few maidens but due to going we didn't run her,” Kate Harrington explained. “She goes there in great form. She was a big filly last season and she's really filled her frame out over the winter. She was a good third in the Moyglare last year behind Tahiyra and Meditate, has had a few racecourse gallops and we got there hopeful of a big run.”

Bernick At The Double

Craig Bernick's colours will be carried by both the Fozzy Stack-trained Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) and You Send Me (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), with the latter in joint-ownership with Cayton Park Stud and Linda Shanahan. She was taking on the older horses and colts when second in the G3 Amethyst S. at Leopardstown earlier this month, so has had an unusual prep but is not far off the principals on ratings.

French Classic Winners Back At The Fore

In the card's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) looks to fend off Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) and Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in what promises to be a blockbuster. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse S. hero has a run in the G1 Prix Ganay under his belt and unlike that race's third Bay Bridge may prefer this drier ground. “He has, in the past, liked this sort of fast-ish ground so he should be fine,” the owner-breeder's French racing and breeding manager Georges Rimaud said. “The horse is doing well, he has improved from his last race.” At Saint-Cloud, the G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is back in the G2 Prix Corrida as she kickstarts a 4-year-old campaign that promises to be a bold one.

The post Can Tahiyra Make Amends For Guineas Eclipse? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post