G1 Prix Royal-Oak

Jean-Claude Rouget's health issues are well-documented, but at the end of a troubled year the stable favourite Arrow Eagle (Gleneagles) swooped to conquer to raise morale in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud. A highly respectable sixth in the Arc, Waltraut Spanner's homebred half-brother to the illustrious Ace Impact showed no ill-effects of that recent effort when storming by Queenstown (Galileo) and dominating the final furlong. At the line, the 11-5 favourite had registered an authoritative two-length success from that Ballydoyle outsider, with Sevenna's Knight (Camelot) a short head away...

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan, post time: 15:40, KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER)-G1, ¥419,370,000, 3yo, 3000mT Field: Coachella Valley (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Amakihi (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}), Right Track (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Yamanin Bouclier (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Giovanni (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Mirage Knight (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}), Shohei (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}), Rex Novus (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Energico (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), G T Adamant (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), My Universe (Jpn) (Rey de Oro {Jpn}), Goltzschtal (Jpn) (Bricks and Mortar), Arrondi (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), Excite Bio (Jpn) (Rey de Oro {Jpn}), Eri...

Victorous Forever's Group 1 hero Caballo De Mar (Phoenix Of Spain) is training toward the G1 Prix Royal-Oak on October 26, trainer George Scott revealed. A winner of the G3 Deutsches St Leger in September, the bay won the G1 Prix du Cadran in very soft ground on October 4. "He came out of the race [Cadran] really well, one of his main attributes is his toughness and tenacity," said Scott. "We really want to run him again, and if the ground was soft we'd have supplemented him for Ascot...

Relishing the heavy ground at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, the Wertheimers' Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}--Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) successfully defended his crown in the feature G1 Prix Royal-Oak. Tracking the leader Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) from the break, the 13-2 shot was committed by Maxime Guyon with 300 metres remaining and stayed on strongly to deny the 23-10 favourite Sevenna's Knight (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths, with Trueshan a head away in third. "I am very proud of him," trainer Christophe Ferland said. "Last year, we...

There was a chance beforehand that the Wertheimers' 3-year-old Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}--Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) had an edge over his elders in Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp, but few would have imagined how great his advantage was as he outclassed them with a vintage display. Always happy at the head of affairs under Maxime Guyon, the Christophe Ferland-trained homebred started to draw clear from the top of the straight and despite wandering around in the clear was so far in front inside the last 100...

Jean-Pierre Gauvin trainee Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}--Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) had earned money in each of his 14 prior starts and was last seen annexing the 12-furlong G2 Prix Foy, on Arc trials day, at ParisLongchamp in September. He returned to the Bois de Boulogne venue and was upped in trip for Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak, the track's final pattern race of the season, and registered a career best by clear water with a display of force in the latter stages of the 15 1/2-furlong stamina test. The...

ParisLongchamp stages its penultimate autumnal farewell on Sunday, with the G1 Prix Royal-Oak the last pattern race to be staged at the prestigious Bois de Boulogne venue which draws its curtains on Thursday. There is no stand-out this year and the main protagonists are a notch or two below the likes of Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}), Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire} or even the sadly-lost 2021 hero Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), but there is Bertrand Milliere's popular Iresine (Fr) by Vazirabad's sire whose three runs here include wins in last year's...

Classic winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has exited his G1 Cazoo St Leger victory on Sunday "in good form" according to trainer Roger Varian. The lightly raced KHK Racing Ltd. colourbearer could possibly reappear this season in the G2 Long Distance Cup at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day or in the Oct. 23 G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp. "He's in good form, he's come out of the race very well," said Varian. "I wouldn't rule it out [running again]. I have the option of running him again if...

Haras de Montaigu's new stallion, the Group 1 winner Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), had his first mare scanned in foal on Monday. Sans Regret (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) was pronounced in foal to the G1 Prix Royal-Oak victor at Haras de Cisai. The winner is owned by D&C Bloodstock, LLP. Technician stands for €3,000 at Haras de Montaigu.

Group 1 winner Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), who had been aiming to defend his title in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June, will remain benched for 2022, but could still make a comeback in 2023, according to co-trainer Charlie Johnston. The news was first reported by Racing Post. "We felt that to be ready in time for Ascot he'd have to go back into work now and as it's really only eight months since the injury was sustained-we don't feel it's quite long enough," said Johnston. "We've...

Unsurprisingly, 3-year-olds have come to assume dominance of late in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Royal-Oak and it was a case of more of the same on Sunday as Julian Richmond-Watson's Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) made the eight-pound weight-for-age pull count in the testing conditions he loves. Following a staying-on sixth in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster Sept. 11 with a powerful 7 1/2-length success in Ascot's Listed Noel Murless S. also over a mile and a quarter at the start of the month, the 15-2 shot was sent up to...

   Europe's penultimate group 1 prize takes place on Sunday and the 2021 running of ParisLongchamp's Prix Royal-Oak carries extra significance as the last of its kind to include the name Alain de Royer-Dupre. Soon set for an honourable retirement from the field he has mastered for so long, the doyen of Aiglemont has one more shot at the big time with last year's runner-up Valia (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Seemingly prepped perfectly for her return tilt, The Aga Khan homebred has no Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) to deal...