French fashion against English horsepower
SHUTTER SPEED A FIRM FAVOURITE FOR THE FRENCH OAKS ʂ Freddie Head’s Terrakova, who is also unbeaten, could be the big danger.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe might be the most prestigious race in France, but when it comes to fashion the Gallic ladies always reserve their most elegant outfits for Chantilly and Sunday’s Prix de Diane (French Oaks).
As a social occasion neither the Arc nor the Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) can compare – the Diane is their Ascot Gold Cup Day, when the Gallic gals push the boat out in the Fashion Stakes.
The hats are daring, stylish and extravagant, and amid a sea of colour and elegance in front of the stunning chateau backdrop the Parisian ladies enjoy champagne picnics on the vast pelouse (grand lawn) area, while their other halves, decked out in toppers ‘n tails, study form in an attempt to pay for the expensive outfits.
The fillies in the big race are equally classy, and there have been some great winners of this race over the years, with The Queen present in 1974 to see her 1000 Guineas heroine Highclere triumph, while more recently subsequent Arc winners Zarkava and Treve have both taken this Group 1 en route to victory in Europe’s richest race.
Britain have a terrific chance again this week-end, with John Gosden’s SHUTTER SPEED a firm favourite.
Gosden, who took the Epsom Oaks with Enable, has an embarrassment of riches with his team of second-season fillies, and his biggest problem has been keeping them apart.
He hit the crossbar with Royal Ascot-bound Daban in the 1000 Guineas, but he’ll be heading to Chantilly full of confidence that Shutter Speed, who beat Enable at Newbury in April, can pull off the Oaks double for his Newmarket stable.
Gosden won this French classic with Star Of Seville two years ago, and, though Shutter Speed was promoted to second-favourite for Epsom after she had captured the Musidora Stakes at York last month, Gosden never had any doubts that Enable was the stronger stayer.
He said: “Shutter Speed is 3-3 and my best 10f (2000m) filly, but I trained the second dam, Prophecy, who won the Group Cheveley Park (1200m) in 1993, so on the distaff side there were always strong reservations as to how far this filly would stay and because of those stamina doubts I always had the French equivalent (2100m) as the preferred option to Epsom (2400m).
“She got the 2000m at York, but she hated the soft ground and it was only her class that got her home, so, while she is very good. I’d be hoping she gets decent underfoot conditions at Chantilly so she can use her potent finishing kick.”
Godolphin’s Sobetsu was disappointing in the Oaks, and, while trainer Charlie Appleby hopes this shorter trip and more conventional track will suit her better, William Buick felt “she was never going” and I think more of a danger to the Gosden filly will come from Freddie Head’s locally-trained filly Terrakova, who is also unbeaten.
You couldn’t find a better bred filly than Terrakova, a daughter of the mighty Galileo and the second foal of the brilliant Goldikova, who won 14 races for Head, including a hat-trick of Breeders Cup Miles.
Terrakova made a winning debut at Chantilly last back-end and was then impressive when stepping up in grade for a Group 3 at Saint-Cloud last month, but Shutter Speed is the bees-knees at Clarehaven and I take her to bring the Euros back home.
This time next week we will already have the first day of Royal Ascot behind us, so it looks an opportune moment to take an early look at the Tuesday, which many professionals believe is the best of the five days with three Group 1s on the card plus the Coventry Stakes, the big two-year-old race of the week and a Group 2 in name only.
I’ll be playing up my Lockinge winnings on RIBCHESTER by siding with the Godolphin colt again in the opening Queen Anne Stakes, but, while Profitable might be the Eachway value for the King’s Stand Stakes, when it comes to speed Americans hold most of the aces in the pack, so I have to row in with Wes Ward’s LADY AURELIA.
Last year’s runaway Queen Mary winner looked as awesome as ever when scoring in Listed company on turf at Keeneland in April, and, while she is now taking on older horses, I was hugely impressed with her final workout at Keeneland last week and provided the ground does not come up soft she remains the one they all have to beat.
This will probably be the swansong for Aidan O’Brien’s Acapulco - in foal to Galileo and the Queen Mary victor for Ward in 2015 - before she heads for the breeding shed, but Acapulco was such an imposing physical specimen at two and I just wonder whether the others have now caught her up in that department.
However, Coolmore look to have the day one banker in CHURCHILL in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
This dual Guineas winner will never be as spectacular as was Frankel, but he is the ultimate professional in that he gets the job done and I expect him to confirm his Newmarket superiority over Barney Roy, though the latter met trouble in running in the Guineas and could now finish closer.
The Coventry Stakes offers more value, but I have been very taken with Jessie Harrington’s BROTHER BEAR, who has looked well above-average in winning both his races in Ireland, and, while Coolmore, Godolphin and Richard Hannon are making noises, I’m with “the bear”.
We might swell our Royal Ascot betting bank by having a little tickle on DUKE OF FIRENZE in the Scottish Sprint Cup at Musselburgh on Saturday.
This evergreen eight-year-old, an unlucky third in this race 12 months ago, when he missed the break and then encountered traffic problems, again had to be content with the bronze medal position in the “Dash” at Epsom on Derby Day.
Duke Of Firenze is a hold-up performer, so he will always need the breaks to come at the right time, but with Lady Luck on his side he’ll give us a good run for our money.