Dream Ahead's Al Wukair Takes the Jacques le Marois

While the term playboy may not be entirely fair, there is a sense that Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) is not quite the racing machine he could yet become but Al Shaqab Racing's prodigious star still managed to scoop Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques le Marois as his raw class again came to the fore. Back at the Deauville track at which he first sprang to prominence in the Listed Prix Isonomy in October, the G1 2000 Guineas third who had warmed up for this with a second in the G3 Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte July 16 tracked the 17-10 favourite Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) throughout the early stages. Looking to be coming off second best approaching the final furlong as the leader's rider Christophe Soumillon had still to resort to the whip, it was only when his stablemate Inns of Court (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) emerged on his right flank to squeeze him into a Godolphin sandwich that the 4-1 shot gave a late surge to thrust himself a short head in front on the line, with Thunder Snow a short neck away in third. In the process, the bay was providing Andre Fabre with a seventh renewal, bringing him alongside the great Francois Boutin on the all-time record. “This is a most satisfactory result, as he represents the Classic form having been third in a hot Guineas,” his trainer said. “He then had a setback, so we gave him time and he has come back in good form again. After a nice run last time, he was ready for that and he's a horse that I think will stay further.”

Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, €700,000, DVL, 8-13, 3yo/up, c/f, 8fT, 1:38.51, sf.
1–AL WUKAIR (IRE), 125, c, 3, by Dream Ahead
1st Dam: Macheera (Ire), by Machiavellian
2nd Dam: Caerlina (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Dinalina (Fr), by Top Ville (Ire)
*1st Group 1 win. (200,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Lanfranco Dettori. €399,980. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 6-4-1-1, €564,816. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”mandore-purchased-by”][bullet ad=”frbc-chantilly”]2–Inns of Court (Ire), 125, c, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Learned Friend (Ger), by Seeking the Gold. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €160,020.
3–Thunder Snow (Ire), 125, c, 3, Helmet (Aus)–Eastern Joy (GB), by Dubai Destination. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor. €80,010.
Margins: SHD, SNK, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.00, 15.10, 1.70.
Also Ran: Trais Fluors (GB), Taareef, Gold Luck (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

As with many talented horses down the years, Al Wukair finds life as a racehorse easy and therefore has a kink that was in evidence on his two juvenile starts when successful in a seven-furlong maiden at Saint-Cloud in September and when beating Gold Luck (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) by 1 3/4 lengths in the Listed Prix Isonomy over this trip on the round course here the following month. On his sophomore bow in the seven-furlong G3 Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 10, he maintained his 100 per-cent record of missing the break and was off the bridle at halfway but was still able to deal with last year's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) with a degree of leisure. Heading into battle with Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2000 Guineas with more than a share of confidence behind him, he had much go against him in that May 6 Newmarket Classic but emerged with credit once again. Making up ground from behind off a less-than-exacting pace, he was only beaten a total of 1 1/4 lengths by that Ballydoyle luminary and Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) with the promise of much more to come.

Al Wukair was due to contest the G1 Prix du Jockey Club the following month, but was ruled out with Fabre unhappy with his wellbeing and after a sojourn he looked in need of his comeback when two-lengths second to Taareef (Kitten's Joy) in the G3 Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte July 16. Hitting the gates with far more alacrity than usual under Frankie Dettori, he was able to sit close to Thunder Snow as Inns of Court raced in last having fly-jumped leaving the stalls. With Dettori animated and Soumillon still comfortable on Thunder Snow just over a furlong out, Al Wukair's stablemates Trais Fluors (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Inns of Court came with their runs as a Fabre-dominated finale looked on the cards. Inns of Court and Mickael Barzalona swooped faster than Trais Fluors and Vincent Cheminaud and the latter was temporarily stopped in his effort, which left a trio to fight it out in Godolphin and Al Shaqab livery. Al Wukair was still third and apparently beaten 50 metres from the line, with the admirably resilient Thunder Snow giving his all and Inns of Court enjoying all the momentum but as Soumillon's whip caught Al Wukair on the nose he delivered one last flourish to lunge between them and land the spoils in the race's dying breath.

Dettori believes that there is a lot more in the locker and said, “He jumped a lot more alert today, but the pace was slow and Andre had told me he doesn't do anything quickly and to try and build it up on him. I decided to attack Christophe [Soumillon] 2 1/2out, but he was playing around and looking up and not concentrating and I had to get serious. When Mickael [Barzalona] came at him, he thought it was time to go, then he got a crack across the face from Christophe's whip and that woke him up. He's a good horse and the rain helped–he did really like that, so something like the QEII would be ideal as he likes to go straight. A mile and a quarter is within his compass and I'm sure at some point Andre might be thinking of stepping him up.” Fabre echoed those thoughts. “He could go for the [G1] Queen Elizabeth II [S. at Ascot Oct. 21], but he might got for the [G1] Champion Stakes,” he commented. “We'll now have to see what to do and decide in time.” Inns of Court was stepping back up in trip after wins in the seven-furlong G3 Prix du Palais-Royal at Maisons-Laffitte June 3 and G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot here July 1 and Fabre said of him, “He's a very good horse in his own right and came there like he was going to win, so he certainly stays a mile no problem. I will consider the [G1 Prix du] Moulin [at Chantilly Sept. 10].” Saeed bin Suroor said of the third, “Thunder Snow has run another good race. We will have a look at aiming him at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes now.”

Helped by the abundant rain that fell on Deauville and produced the testing ground that his sire Dream Ahead relished, Al Wukair is a half-brother to Witches Brew (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) who was twice listed-placed on easy going in Ireland. Macheera's dam is the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Caerlina, whose best progeny was the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third La Nuit Rose (Fr) (Rainbow Quest). She in turn is the dam of Tam Lin (GB) (Selkirk), who captured the GII Kelso H. and G3 Winter Hill S., and is also a half to the dam of the G2 Kinko Sho winner Current Mirotic (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and his G3 Kyoto Himba S.-winning half-sister Hikaru Amaranthus (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}). Derived from an Aga Khan family which features the G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen and G1 Prix Ganay heroine Kartajana (Ire) (Shernazar {Ire}) and Italian champion and GII E. P. Taylor S. scorer Khariyda (Fr) (Shakapour {Ire}), the dam also has a 2-year-old full-brother to Al Wukair named Dream Today (Ire) who was purchased for just 42,000gns by Mark Johnston Racing at Tattersalls October and a yearling filly by Charm Spirit (Ire).