Now that he has featured in the domestic Classics over a mile and 10 1/2 furlongs, New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) tackles the hallowed mile-and-a-half trip at Longchamp over which he must prove himself in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in three weeks time. First, Khalid Abdullah's homebred has to pass the test of Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Niel, which is no simple task in itself with the July 14 G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in attendance. Since his defeat of the Aug. 15 GI Secretariat S. winner Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly 31, New Bay–who had also been second in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains here three weeks earlier–has returned to win the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano over a mile and a quarter at Deauville Aug. 15. “New Bay is in good shape and I have no complaints about anything,” trainer Andre Fabre commented. “He was visually impressive in the Prix du Jockey Club and he did it quite easily, so he should get the trip. The other horse [Countermeasure] is in the race not to make it a really fast race, but to make New Bay settle, as we don't want him to have a really hard race before the Arc.” The Niarchos Family's Erupt takes an unbeaten record into this race and, unlike his main rival, has proven himself on three occasions at this trip.
It would be hard to envisage either of the top French colts being upset by 'TDN Rising Star' Ol' Man River (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) as he returns from a break, having been fourth in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot June 19, while the Wildensteins' unbeaten Ming Dynasty (Fr) (King's Best) needs to find plenty of improvement on his defeat of Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani's Migwar (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the Aug. 25 Listed Grand Prix de Clairefontaine over this trip.
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