Cirrus des Aigles, Solow meet in Prix d’Ispahan

When Cirrus des Aigles made his career debut in 2008, Solow was two years away from being born, yet those two geldings – 9-year-old Cirrus des Aigles and 5-year-old Solow – are the principals Sunday at Longchamp in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan.

The race, over about 9 1/2 furlongs, marks the first meeting between Cirrus des Aigles and Solow. Solow only recently emerged as a potential star, his unveiling for the racing world at large coming March 28 in Dubai, where Solow romped to a geared-down 4 1/4-length score over The Grey Gatsby in the Group 1 Dubai Turf. Cirrus des Aigles? Even a casual European racing fan has seen him start. He has gone to post 62 times now and is making his fourth appearance in the Ispahan, having finished second to Goldikova in 2011, second to Golden Lilac in 2012, and first in front of two-time Arc winner Treve in winning the 2014 edition of the race.

Cirrus des Aigles, cliché that it is, looked as good as ever May 3 in beating Al Kazeem in the Group 1 Prix Ganay, his 2015 debut. But even a run like that might not suffice to contain Solow. Trained by Freddie Head, Solow was at first thought to be a staying type, but gelding and a turnback to races at middle distances have combined to produce a horse who only now is reaching his potential. Both horses have potential dates at the Royal Ascot meet, but their face-off Sunday is worth watching in its own right.

There’s a second Group 1 on the Longchamp card, the Saint-Alary for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/4 miles. Something of an intermediary race between the French 1000 Guineas and the French Oaks, the Saint-Alary is headed by Queen’s Jewel, who, like Solow, is a Wertheimer et Frere homebred trained by Head. Queen’s Jewel won her lone run at 2 and was easily best while making her 3-year-old bow in the Group 3 Prix Penelope. The German filly Olorda, who won the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux last out, might give Queen’s Jewel a tussle.

The Grey Gatsby back in action

There also are two Group 1s Sunday at The Curragh, where The Grey Gatsby faces five foes in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and where 18 3-year-old fillies are set to contest the Irish 1000 Guineas.

The Grey Gatsby ended his 3-year-old season with a major win over Australia in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, but while second, he could come nowhere near Solow when making his 4-year-old bow in the Dubai Turf. To some degree, The Grey Gatsby was undone before that race, washing out badly and obstinately delaying the race’s start for several minutes. His major rival Sunday is Al Kazeem, who was retired to stud after his 2013 racing season but brought back into training last year after proving infertile.

** Found, one of three Aidan O’Brien-trained fillies, is the antepost Irish 1000 Guineas favorite despite taking a surprising loss as the heavy favorite her first start this season. In her final race at 2, Found defeated Ervedya, a good-looking winner of the French 1000 Guineas this spring.

** Two-time Arc winner Treve is set to make her first start of 2015 on Friday in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud.