Victor Ludorum | Horse Racing Free Tips

Palace Pier, Poetic Flare To Clash For Breeders’ Cup Mile Berth In Deauville Group 1

The John & Thady Gosden-trained Palace Pier (GB) looks for back-to-back wins in the Group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville this Sunday. The winner of this race, which boasts five Group 1 winners, will earn an automatic starting position and fees paid into this year's $2 million Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California on Nov. 5-6.

Unbeaten in three starts this season, Palace Pier, a son of Kingman (GB) secured his place in the Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile on June 15 when capturing the “Win and You're In” Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

After bypassing the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes due to a blood disorder, the 4-year-old will face seven rivals in France, including Mrs. J. S. Bolger's two-time Group 1 winner Poetic Flare (IRE).

Winner of the Group 1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas and the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes, Poetic Flare was last seen finishing second in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes on testing ground on July 28. Trainer Jim Bolger believes his 3-year-old colt will improve from that performance.

“It was the ground at Goodwood,” Bolger said. “The filly [Alcohol Free (IRE)] was very good but it was a sub-par run for him. It was very tacky ground that day. He is so much better on good ground. This horse has all the class in the world, he's very quick, and any sort of a reasonably run race will suit him.”

Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Mrs. A.M. O'Brien's Order of Australia (IRE), the defending G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile champion, has been entered by trainer Aidan O'Brien. The 4-year-old son of Australia (GB) finished fifth behind Poetic Flare in the G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes.

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The 4-year-old filly Alpine Star (IRE), owned and bred by the Niarchos Family, will seek to go one better than last year. Runner-up behind Palace Pier in 2020, one of three occasions the 2020 Group 1 Coronation Stakes heroine placed second in Group 1 company, Alpine Star returns to Deauville after finishing second in her seasonal debut in the listed British Stallion Studs EBF Lyric Fillies' Stakes.

“It's a very good renewal of the race,” said her trainer, Jessica Harrington. “She's in good form and a stronger filly this year. Hopefully, it will be the slow side of good. Shane Foley takes the ride and I hope she will run a big race.”

Andre Fabre has won the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois more than any other trainer in its history with seven victories. He has entered the Godolphin-owned Victor Ludorum (GB) and Midtown (GB).

Winner of the Group 1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) over course and distance in June 2020, this year Victor Ludorum bounced back from two defeats to win the Group 3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly last time out on July 18. He is joined by his lightly raced stablemate Midtown, a 3-year-old son of Dubawi (IRE) out of a Diktat (GB) mare First City (GB), who was last seen finishing a credible third in only his third start in the Group 1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat.

Group 3 winner Ecrivain (FR), trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, and British challenger Chindit (IRE), trained by Richard Hannon, complete the field.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois winner to start in the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run at a mile on the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

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Order Of Australia Features On Sunday

One of Ballydoyle's least-exposed older horses despite having already collected a GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) drops to seven furlongs for the first time in his career in Sunday's G2 Romanised Minstrel S. at The Curragh. Only eighth on his return in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S. June 15, he takes a surprising step considering he was fourth in last year's G1 Irish Derby and won over that 12-furlong trip. He is joined by stablemate Military Style (War Front), who captured the G3 Tyros S. over this trip at Leopardstown in August and who has not been seen since finishing ninth in the following month's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. at this venue. “His standout run is obviously his Breeders' Cup Mile success and a reproduction of that run, even with his three-pound penalty, would make him hard to beat in this,” Ryan Moore said. “He will have to come on a fair bit for his Queen Anne run on his reappearance, though to be fair that was a stiff task first time up and this is a clear step down in grade on a course he has won at before.”

The Curragh also stages the G2 Kilboy Estate S. for fillies and mares over nine furlongs, with Johnny Murtagh taking the plunge with the impressive June 18 Sandringham H. winner Create Belief (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}). Needing to prove herself on this livelier ground, having excelled on a testing surface, she encounters two talented 4-year-olds in the May 8 G3 Blue Wind S. scorer Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio and G3 Darley Pride S. winner Angel Power (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). “The handicapper put her up and she's rated 110 now, so no more handicaps for her,” Murtagh said. “Everything's gone good and she's ready to go again.”

Angel Power, who was a much-improved performer during the latter part of 2020, makes her seasonal comeback in the King Power Racing silks under a three-pound penalty and will have to have resumed her progression to deal with these rivals. Trainer Roger Varian said, “She took a while to come to herself this year, but she seems in good form. She's had a couple of small, niggly issues–nothing major, but it prevented us getting her on the track a little bit earlier. She looks very well. It's her first run for a long time and the run might bring her forward, but she's trained well enough to go to Ireland and put in a nice performance. She's got a penalty to shoulder and the ground might be a little bit quicker than ideal, but hopefully it's safe and she ought to run a nice race. I think the [G1] Prix Jean Romanet would be her August target and we're very keen to get a run into her before then.”

At Chantilly, the G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin takes centre stage with Siu Pak Kwan's Atomic Force (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) a warm order to back up the impression of his dominant performance in the G3 Prix du Bois over this course and six-furlong distance June 20. Alain Jathiere's Tipperary Sunset (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) makes his debut for the Pascal Bary stable, having been bought for £200,000 at last month's Goffs London Sale following his win in the Continental Two Year Old Trophy Conditions S. at Beverley May 29, while Diablotine (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) comes into this on the back of a success in the Listed Prix des Reves d'Or over five furlongs on heavy ground at Vichy May 21.

In the G3 Prix Messidor, Godolphin's 2020 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) bids to get back on track reverting to a mile after his latest fifth in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix d'Ispahan May 30. He meets this year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Breizh Eagle (Fr) (Bow Creek {Ire}), who was subsequently disappointing when sixth as the re-opposing Moai (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) was third in the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac over this track and trip June 20. Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard said, “Victor Ludorum is still on a comeback trail following an extended period of time off over the winter. He is in good form and we expect this to be another stepping-stone towards races later in the season.” Godolphin also have the Charlie Appleby-trained Listed Abingdon S. winner Creative Flair (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the nine-furlong G3 Prix Chloe, where she is tackled by a duo from the Andre Fabre stable headed by Prince Faisal's July 3 Listed Prix de Bagatelle winner Noticeable Grace (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}). “Creative Flair heads to France on the back of a nice win at Newbury and coming back slightly in trip isn't a concern,” Appleby commented. “She is quite a straightforward filly with some strong form this season and looks ready to take the step up to group company.”

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Godolphin Triple Threat In Moulin

Three of Godolphin’s finest make up a stellar six-strong field for Sunday’s G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, with the main focus on the operation’s champion Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal). Back to a mile following his initial 3-year-old success in the seven-furlong G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on July 12, last year’s sensational G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. winner has yet to truly convince that he is as effective over this trip as he looked to be outstayed when third in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on June 6 and second to Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot a fortnight later. Charlie Appleby said, “We were delighted to see Pinatubo get his head back in front in the Prix Jean Prat after gallant efforts in the 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace S. We purposely gave him a break after that run with the view of going for this race. His preparation has gone well and we are looking forward to stepping him back up to a mile. It’s a very competitive race, but we are very confident that we have Pinatubo in great shape and he is going to run a big race. I think it will be tactical, but Pinatubo is blessed with the way he travels and his turn of foot. Hopefully, if we can get everything in the right order, he is going to be a big player.”

Also in the royal blue are the Andre Fabre-trained TDN Rising Stars Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Victor Ludorum (Ire) (Shamardal), who are the two most recent winners of the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and who both placed in their respective renewals of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. While both have been tried over further, they have proven to be versatile with regards to trip and form a strong second line for the operation. Persian King was fourth when last year’s Moulin winner Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was third behind Palace Pier in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 16, with Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) back in fifth, but that was on deep ground which also played against Victor Ludorum as he was third in that track’s G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano tackling 10 furlongs on Aug. 15. “The Prix Jacques le Marois was a race run under very particular circumstances and Persian King’s performance reflected that,” Fabre commented. “The conditions are much more in his favour here. Victor Ludorum has come out of his last race in good form and we are looking forward to seeing him back over a mile.”

Robert Ng’s Romanised went down narrowly to Circus Maximus in a battle royal 12 months ago and there was controversy that the stewards let the result stand. Romanised is a true class act when the ground is riding good or quicker as it is likely to be on Sunday and his Jacques le Marois effort can be forgiven with the surface sapping his class. Trainer Ken Condon is enjoying his best season and said, “We’re very happy with the horse. He did his last piece of work on Tuesday morning and it went very smoothly. They tell me the ground will be good or even on the quick side, which will suit Romanised very well.”

Also from Ireland is Khalid Abdullah’s June 12 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Siskin (First Defence), who suffered a reversal for the first time when third behind Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Circus Maximus in the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood on July 29. “He was beaten by two better horses on the day at Goodwood, but it was a lovely run by the horse,” trainer Ger Lyons commented. “We were beaten by an exceptional miler in Mohaather and a rock-solid horse in Circus Maximus. I thought my horse ran a career-best and he was just found wanting against two stronger animals on the day. Physically he’s definitely improved through the summer. He’s not ground-dependent, but I know he likes faster ground–that’s what he’s most comfortable on.”

ParisLongchamp’s card also features the G3 Prix la Rochette for 2-year-olds over seven furlongs and Appleby is represented by Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the 4 1/2-length winner of York’s Aug. 21 Convivial maiden over this trip. “Naval Crown won a strong maiden in good fashion and came out of the race well,” Appleby said. “He has come on with each run and this looks a nice race for him to step up to pattern company.” He meets Haras de la Gousserie and Guy Pariente’s impressive Aug. 6 Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and a promising Jean-Claude Rouget project in Jean-Louis Bouchard’s June 30 Saint-Cloud winner Darkness (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

There are two 10-furlong contests on the card, with the G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte for older horses featuring The Aga Khan’s Aug. 23 G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet fourth Dariyma (Fr) (City Zip) and the G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange for the Classic generation seeing Team Valor International, Andre Brakha and Anant Singh’s Hurricane Dream (Fr) (Hurricane Cat) bid to confirm the form of Deauville’s Aug. 16 Listed Prix Nureyev with the runner-up Dawn Intello (Fr) (Intello {Ger}). Both took part in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on July 5, with Dawn Intello finishing fourth and Hurricane Dream ninth after contrasting trips throughout that 10 1/2-furlong Classic. Eighth was another Rouget runner in Ecurie Antonio Caro’s Fantastic Spirit (Fr) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) and he has subsequently enjoyed a confidence-restoring handicap win on heavy ground at Deauville on Aug. 15.

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