23 August 2020
Photo Prix Maurice de Nieuil : scoopdyga.com
At the end of an eventful season, the hierarchy among the stayers seems to be shifting. This edition of the Darley Prix Kergorlay (Gr2) can allow us to see it more clearly, especially as the French champion stayer, Call the Wind (Frankel), recently injured, is back against a serious opposition. However, the best British and Irish stayers have been retained across the Channel by the Lonsdale Cup (Gr2), contested this week in York, when they are not preparing -the Arc, like the great Stradivarius!
1. RED VERDON (g7, USA by Lemon Drop Kid and Porto Marmay, by Choose) Rating: 109lbs
Trained in England by Ed Dunlop, bought £ 90,000 at the breeze-up sales of Newmarket, sixth in the 2016 Epsom Derby, second in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1), he gradually became a regular feature in the stamina division but was gelded at the end of the 2018 season. Winner of two races the following season, last year, including a Group 3 at York in the Summer, he finished fourth out of four for his comeback on the all-weather at Chelmsford but immediately won a Listed over 14.5f at Doncaster and he has just emphatically the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2), beating San Huberto.
2. SAN HUBERTO (h4, IRE by Speightstown and Sediciosa, by Rail Link) Rating: 110lbs
Trained at Chantilly by Fabrice Chappet, bought € 70,000 as a yearling at the Deauville sales, he won the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Gr2) this year by moving early in the homestretch to repeal all returns. Winner of the Coupe des 3ans (L) last year at Lyon-Parilly, then the Prix Michel Houyvet (L) over 14f at Deauville, he took the third place in the Belmont Derby in the USA before failing at the end of the year at ParisLongchamp in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay (Gr2) on very soft ground.
Fifth for his comeback at Lyon, he went on to win his first Group 2 and fought hard to take the third place in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2) recently.
3. COLLIDE (h5, GB by Frankel and Scuffle, by Daylami) Rating: 110lbs
Trained in England by David Simcock, recently acquired by Australian owners, this Juddmonte farms-bred horse made his way in the handicaps before winning his first Listed last February in the Grand Prix du Départment 06 (L) at Cagnes-sur-Mer. Out four months after that, he won for his return on Chelmsford’s all-weather before returning to handicaps, where he just finished third over an extended 2-miler with a 105lbs rating ...
4. WINDSTOSS (h6, GER by Shirocco and Wellenspiel, by Sternkoenig) Rating: 109lbs
Trained in Germany by Markus Klug, bred by his owners, this winner of the 2017 German Derby (Gr1) skimmed the program of German Group races around the classic distance and rarely finished further than fourth. He also finished third in Cracksman's Coronation Cup (Gr1) in 2018 at Epsom. However, he only raced twice last year, in the spring, and only reappeared last May. Three times placed in Group 2 races now, he will now try the longer distance and is entered in the Qatar Prix du Cadran (Gr1).
5. GOOD QUESTION (g5, FRA by Manduro and Question of Time, by Olden Times) Rating: 101lbs
Trained in Provence by Christophe Escuder, claimd by his current connections, he slowly went up the ladder and won his first Listed race in February 2019 at Cagnes-sur-Mer. Consistently in the frame of the Grands Prix in the South and the Centre of France, he has just won the Prix Hubert Baguenault de Puchesse (L) at Vichy over 1m4f. He is a beginner on longer trips such as this one.
6. GET SHIRTY (g4, IRE by Teofilo and Soccer Mom, by Monsun) Rating: 105lbs
Trained at La Teste-de-Buch by Christophe Ferland, he rose through the handicaps and condition races and made a pleasant start at the high level by finishing third, despite losing an iron after leading the race, in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Gr2) won by San Huberto. He then won in the Prix du Carroussel (L), over 15f at Deauville, putting himself out of reach of Ashrun.
7. ALKUIN (g5, IRE by Maxios and Almerita, by Medicean)
Non-runner
8. ASHRUN (c4, FRA by Authorized and Ashantee, by Areion) Rating: 107lbs
Trained in Germany by Andreas Wohler, he was one of the best 3yos in Germany last year and he came to Deauville to win the Prix de Reux (Gr3), then failed at the best level before taking third place in the Grand Prix of Bavaria (Gr1) at the end of the year. Fifth for his comeback, he has just finished second in the Prix du Carrousel (L) won by Get Shirty and should improve a lot here.
9. CALL THE WIND (g6, GB by Frankel and In Clover, by Inchinor) Rating: 119lbs
Trained at Chantilly by Freddy Head, bred by his owner, he proved himself spectacularly when winning the Qatar Prix du Cadran (Gr1) in 2018 over 2m4f, then he regularly made the frame on the European stayers’ circuit. In February, he ran the first edition of a rich handicap in Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, he had to make a round trip to the Emirates when the races there were finally cancelled. He won in the Prix de Barbeville (Gr3) on his return to France, then was very unlucky in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Gr2), where he was injured. He is making his return here.
He is entered in the Prix Gladiateur (Gr2) and the Qatar Prix du Cadran (Gr1).
10. FOLAMOUR (g5, GB by Intello and Zagzig, by Selkirk) Rating: 105lbs
Trained at Chantilly by André Fabre, bred by his owners, he won on his fourth attempt after three places in the spring at 3. Well beaten in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1), he finished his first season with a third place in the Prix du Prince d'Orange (Gr3). Consistent last year at 4, he made his comeback on in the Prix d'Harcourt (Gr2) this season and could not be threatening nor in the Grand Prix de Chantilly (Gr2), nor in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr1) and he failed radically recently in the Prix de Reux (Gr3). He is trying his luck for the first time on this long trip.
He is entered in the Prix Gladiateur (Gr2).
11. APADANAH (f4, GER by Holy Roman Emperor and Amazone, by Adlerflug) Rating: 98lbs
Trained in Germany by Bohumil Nedorostek, she has never yet managed to reach the podium in a Group race, even though she won a Listed in June in Dortmund over 1m6f, which certainly prompted her connections to persevere over the longer distances.
She is entered in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Gr1) and the Qatar Prix du Cadran (Gr1).