While all eyes were on Royal Ascot over the past week, we may have seen both the Melbourne Cup winner and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner racing in France or Japan instead.
The French and the Japanese made calculated moves to bypass Britain’s royal meeting in favour of France’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2400m) and Japan’s Group 1 Takrazuka Kinen (2200m).
Australian interests were fixated on the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (2400m) at Royal Ascot, which loomed as the best Melbourne Cup form race of the Royal Ascot carnival.
Australian-owned runner up Dandino was mighty impressive and is likely to progress onto the Melbourne Cup in top form but the runs of Mount Athos, Sir John Hawkwood and Songcraft were underwhelming.
In comparison, the 2200m Takarazuka Kinen saw three of Japan’s four best horses meet in a superstar clash. Melbourne Cup hopeful Gold Ship took on Japanese Horse of the Year, Gentildonna and Tenno Sho (3200m) winner, Fenomeno.
Gold Ship went on to win comfortably by two lengths, with Gentildonna third and Fenomeno fourth but neither was disgraced. It was a pleasant turn of form for Gold Ship, who started the Tenno Sho in March as favourite but finished midfield.
After the race, Gold Ship’s trainer Naosuke Sugai was questioned about his horse’s future and he did not rule out a late nomination for the Arc. If Gold Ship is suspending his Melbourne preparation to commence an Arc assault, Japan may not have a representative in Melbourne for the third consecutive year.
Gold Ship looked to struggle over 3200m in the Tenno Sho but he found his best on the weekend over 2200m. On the back of his victory, the Arc distance (2400m) suddenly seems much more appealing.
The Takarazuka Kinen has been a good form race for the Arc, with Orfevre winning the race last year before finishing second in the Arc. He has once again been primed for Paris and he will be joined by arch rival Gentildonna as the Japanese attempt once again to win the world’s most prestigious race for the first time.
On the flipside, Fenomeno looked better suited over the 3200m and would certainly be competitive if trainer Hirofumi Toda were to consider a Melbourne Cup tilt.
On the opposite side of the world, a star-studded field of eleven went around at Saint-Cloud, just outside of Paris. France’s highest rated horse, Cirrus Des Aigles, started as the hot favourite with Melbourne and Caulfield Cup winner Dunaden as second elect.
Also in the field was globetrotting Joshua Tree but none could match German raider Novellist, who went on to defeat France’s best. Dunaden finished a gallant second and Cirrus des Aigles a disappointing fifth.
Dunaden, Novellist and Joshua Tree are likely to go to the King George VI Stakes (2400m) at Ascot in a month. It is the traditional lead up for European horses on track for the Arc, which is run on October 7.
Cirrus Des Aigles however is ineligible for the Arc because he is a gelding. Because of this, he has always been targeted at the Hong Kong Vase or Hong Kong Cup in his past four seasons by trainer Corine Barande-Barbe.
While the French champion was below par in the Saint-Cloud, his career is far from over. Since the Arc has never been on his radar, he looms an ideal horse for the Cox Plate.
Last year, only Frankel eclipsed Cirrus des Aigles in world rankings and as a proven traveller who was won in England and Dubai, victory in Australia is realistic.
If Hong Kong is once again the final destination for Cirrus Des Aigles’ season, a Cox Plate tilt would make sense because the past two winners of the Hong Kong Vase (Dunaden and Red Cadeaux) have gone through Melbourne spring campaigns as their lead ups.
The Royal Ascot meeting went down as one for the ages with many of the world’s best going around to create memories which will last a lifetime.
But racing is a global sport and those who bypassed the meeting are the ones flying under the radar.
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