Whyte rides on
“He takes quite a lot of sharp work until he is fit,” Sands said. The Milnerton trainer still has the Matchem on 7 October on the agenda but he wants the horse to first prove he is ready enough and will handle the course.
Andre Nel said: “Pleasedtomeetyou will either wait for a handicap at Durbanville on 11 September or the Fairview Wine Sophomore Sprint there four days later.
“Everything about him says he will get further.
But Querari’s offspring have caught me out before and so I will run him over 1200m or 1250m next and see how he goes.” – supplemented for the Arc, but I'm very concerned about the ground. I can't believe it's still dry and it's not going to stay dry for long I'm sure.
"If the ground is good or faster on Arc day and she's OK, then she'll be there.
"Very few horses are very effective on fast and soft ground. I suspect she won't like it (soft ground), her action suggests she flicks off the top of the ground.
"There's every chance now we're going to keep her as a fouryear-old so if it's soft, it's a lot of money to supplement and we can go next year." – when disappointing in the Juddmonte International at York.This year’s Dubai World Cup winner is being prepared for the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in four weeks’ time, after finishing last of eight behind Roaring Lion on the Knavesmire. “Thunder Snow lost two shoes in the race, front and hind. The plan now is to take him to the Jockey Club at Belmont Park,'' said trainer Saeed bin Suroor of his Breeders’ Cup Classic hopeful.– roads now lead to Longchamp for the l’Abbaye, in which the son of Dark Angel bolted up last year when the race was staged at Chantilly. – Douglas Whyte looks a rejuvenated man this season after dismissing rumours about his future and focusing on the task at hand.
Last season there was a lot of talk the 13-time champion was on the verge of giving away race riding and becoming an assistant trainer (with a view to becoming a full-time trainer at Sha Tin).
But that did not eventuate and with opportunities aplenty in a new-look jockeys’ room, Whyte is back doing what he does best – riding winners.
“There were a lot of rumours going around,” he said. “I think when those were speculated a lot of people were thinking that I was going to become an assistant and my heart wasn’t in it anymore and they were better off using other people – it was never going to be that way.
“I’m a lot more comfortable now, put it that way, my head is down and I’m in a nice space.
“I’ve had a good bit of support and I’m putting in the work in the mornings and it’s paying off on race day.”
Whyte produced probably the ride of the day on Le Panache, settling three-back on the rail before moving out at the right time, getting on the back of the favourite and then cruising away to a commanding victory.
“It felt good, it felt like the old days,” he said. –