Half of the field for Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques le Marois at Deauville are trained by Andre Fabre, who is currently on six winners and one off the record set by Francois Boutin. All three, Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead), Trais Fluors (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Inns of Court (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), are 3-year-olds with strong claims but it is the former who appears to have the x-factor and therefore holds the burden of favouritism. Al Shaqab Racing's bay was visually striking on his first three starts which included defeats of Gold Luck (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) in the Listed Prix Isonomy on the round course over this trip here in October and last year's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the seven-furlong G3 Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 10. Third to Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) when still looking raw in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6, he was coming back from a break when two-lengths second to Taareef (Kitten's Joy) in the G3 Prix Messidor also at Maisons-Laffitte on July 16.
“Andre was happy with his comeback run and we expect him to strip a bit fitter for this,” the owner's racing manager Harry Herbert said. “We know how good his form in the Guineas is and if he can reproduce that he should take the beating. However, that race seemed to take a lot out of him and Andre has been very patient in building him back up again. His work leading up to the Guineas was exceptional and Andre was really excited about him, it's now a question of getting him to put it all together on the track. The ground should be okay for him, the way he is put together and the way he moves, but it is a slight unknown. We still feel he has the potential of making it to the top, but we are still a bit in the dark about him. I'd imagine he'll be staying in training, but we'll just take it one step at a time.”
Another of the Fabre triumvirate, the June 17 G3 Prix Paul de Moussac winner Trais Fluors, lost his unbeaten record to Godolphin's Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on July 9, when Gold Luck was back in third. That was Thunder Snow's second Group 1 success in France, having scored impressively in Saint-Cloud's Criterium International in October. Second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 27 and third in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot on June 20, he is closely matched with Al Wukair on that form and trainer Saeed bin Suroor is in confident mood.
“He's come back from his last run very well and seems fresh. We know he handles soft ground, he won a Group 1 last season on it,” he commented. “He's in good form and his last piece of work was very good indeed. The quality looks really high, but I'm very happy with him. He's such a tough horse and he loves all the traveling. He won twice out in Dubai, he went to America, he ran in the Irish Guineas and then ran in France last time.”
It is interesting that Fabre saddles Inns of Court, whose sole reversal came when his sixth after his saddle slipped in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains over this track and trip on May 14 and who has subsequently won over seven furlongs in the G3 Prix du Palais-Royal at Maisons-Laffitte on June 3 and G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot here on July 1. Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard commented, “He is very well and has been pointing towards this race for some time. The return to a mile should be no problem–he has plenty of speed, but his pedigree suggests that he should get this trip. We are hoping that he can continue his progress.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Taareef is the only older horse in the line-up and his defeat of Al Wukair in the Messidor is the best form on offer.
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