Euro season gets under way
NEW YORK - The Royal Ascot meeting running at York and a French Derby cut in distance to 1 5/16 miles are the newfangled features of a nascent European racing season that will include the return of equine luminaries Bago, Doyen, Ouija Board, Soviet Song, and Attraction.
The erection of a new grandstand at the venerable Ascot required the transfer of all of the track's meetings to other racecourses this year. The June 14-18 Royal Meeting, for example, will be squeezed into York, 200 miles north of its usual home.
In France, trainers will have to readjust their regimens to prepare their charges for Chantilly's June 5 Prix du Jockey-Club, or French Derby, which has had 1 1/2 furlongs cut from its 170-year-old distance of 1 1/2 miles.
The new, shorter classic has been fattened purse-wise from $1.3 million to $1.9 million, while the Prix de Diane, or French Oaks had its purse raised from $600,000 to $1 million.
All eyes will be directed towards Longchamp on April 24, for the first European Group 1 race of the season, the Prix Ganay. The 1 5/16-mile race will feature the return of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and European 3-year-old champion Bago.
Trainer Ed Dunlop is preparing his Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Ouija Board for a June 3 return in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. Soviet Song is being pointed by trainer James Fanshawe to either the Lockinge Stakes against males at Newbury on May 14 or a trip to Ireland for a defense of her Ridgewood Pearl Stakes title at the Curragh a week later.
On the classic front, Godolphin's Dubawi holds down favoritism for both the 2000 Guineas at 3-1 and the Epsom Derby at 5-1.
The Pascal Bary-trained filly Divine Proportions, undefeated winner of two Group 1 races last year, is currently co-favorite with the David Wachman-trained Damson for the 1000 Guineas. Kitty O'Shea, a recent six-length winner of a Curragh listed race for trainer Aidan O'Brien, has moved into 8-1 co-favoritism for the English Oaks with the John Gosden-trained Fillies Mile winner Playful Act.
In France, Cinderella act Helios Quercus hopes to advance his provincial credentials for the French Derby in the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on May 16.
In Italy, a fiscal crisis has led to a 9 percent decrease in prize money. Italy has high hopes for Electrocutionist, who lost his undefeated status in a heartbreaking second to German Derby winner Shirocco by a nose in the Gran Premio del Jockey Club last October.
European Group 1 stakes
| DATE | TRACK | RACE | DIST./COND. |
| April 24 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix Ganay | 1 1/16m 4yo+ c&f |
| April 30 | Newmarket (GB) | 2000 Guineas Stakes | 1m 3yo c&f |
| May 1 | Newmarket (GB) | 1000 Guineas Stakes | 1m 3yo f |
| May 14 | Newbury (GB) | Lockinge Stakes | 1m 4yo+ |
| May 15 | Longchamp (Fr) | Poule d'Essai des Poulains | 1m 3yo c |
| May 15 | Longchamp (Fr) | Poule d'Essai des Pouliches | 1m 3yo f |
| May 21 | Curragh (Ire) | Irish 2000 Guineas | 1m 3yo c&f |
| May 22 | Curragh (Ire) | Irish 1000 Guineas | 1m 3yo f |
| May 22 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix d'Ispahan | 1m 4yo+ |
| May 22 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix Saint-Alary | 1 1/4m 3yo f |
| May 22 | Capannelle (Ity) | Derby Italiano | 1 1/2m 3yo c&f |
| May 22 | Curragh (Ire) | Tattersalls Gold Cup | 1 5/16m 4 yo |
| June 3 | Epsom (GB) | English Oaks | 1 1/2m 3yo f |
| June 3 | Epsom (GB) | Coronation Cup | 1 1/2m 4yo+ |
| June 4 | Epsom (GB) | Epsom Derby | 1 1/2m 3yo c&f |
| June 5 | Chantilly (Fr) | Prix du Jockey-Club | 1 5/16m 3yo c&f |
| June 5 | Hamburg (Ger) | Preis der Diana | 1 3/8m 3yo f |
| June 12 | Chantilly (Fr) | Prix de Diane | 1 5/16m 3yo f |
| June 14 | *York (GB) | St James's Palace Stakes | 1m 3yo c |
| June 14 | *York (GB) | Queen Anne Stakes | 1m 4yo+ |
| June 15 | *York (GB) | Prince of Wales's Stakes | 1 1/4m 4yo+ |
| June 16 | *York (GB) | Ascot Gold Cup | 2 1/2m 4yo+ |
| June 17 | *York (GB) | Coronation Stakes | 1m 3yo f |
| June 18 | *York (GB) | Golden Jubilee Stakes | 6f 3yo+ |
| June 18 | San Siro (Ity) | Oaks d'Italia | 1 3/8m 3yo f |
| June 19 | San Siro (Ity) | Gran Premio di Milano | 1 1/4m 4yo+ |
| June 25 | Curragh (Ire) | Pretty Polly Stakes | 1 1/4m 3yo+ f&m |
| June 26 | Curagh (Ire) | Irish Derby | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| June 26 | Saint-Cloud (Fr) | Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud | 1 1/2m 4yo+ |
| July 2 | Sandown (GB) | Eclipse Stakes | 1 1/4m 3yo+ |
| July 3 | Chantilly (Fr) | Prix Jean Prat | 1 1/8m 3yo |
| July 3 | Hamburg (Ger) | Deutsches Derby | 1 1/2m 3yo c&f |
| July 5 | Newmarket (GB) | Falmouth Stakes | 1m 3yo+ f&m |
| July 7 | Newmarket (GB) | July Cup | 6f 3yo+ |
| July 14 | Longchamp (Fr) | Grand Prix de Paris | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| July 17 | Curragh (Ire) | Irish Oaks | 1 1/2m 3yo f |
| July 23 | Newbury (GB) | King Geo. VI & Qn. Elizabeth Diamond Stakes | 1 1/2m 3yo+ |
| July 24 | Dusseldorf (Ger) | Deutschland-Preis | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| July 27 | Goodwood (GB) | Sussex Stakes | 1m 3yo+ |
| July 30 | Goodwood (GB) | Nassau Stakes | 1 1/4m 3yo+ f&m |
| July 31 | Deauville (Fr) | Prix d'Astarte | 1m 3yo+ f&m |
| July 31 | Munich (Ger) | Bayerisches Zuchtrennen | 1 1/4m 3yo+ c&f |
| August 7 | Deauville (Fr) | Prix Maurice de Gheest | 6 1/2f 3yo+ |
| August 7 | Curragh (Ire) | Phoenix Stakes | 6f 2yo c&f |
| August 14 | Deauville (Fr) | Prix Jacques le Marois | 1m 3yo+ c&f |
| August 14 | Cologne (Ger) | Rheinland-Pokal | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| August 16 | York (GB) | Juddmonte International Stks | a1 5/16m 3yo+ |
| August 17 | York (GB) | Yorkshire Oaks | 1 1/2m 3yo+ f&m |
| August 18 | York (GB) | Nunthorpe Stakes | 5f 2yo+ |
| August 21 | Deauville (Fr) | Prix Morny | 6f 2yo c&f |
| September 3 | Haydock (GB) | Haydock Park Sprint Cup | 6f 3yo+ |
| September 4 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix du Moulin de Longchamp | 1m 3yo+ c&f |
| September 4 | Baden-Baden (Ger) | Grosser Preis von Baden | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| September 4 | Curragh (Ire | )Moyglare Stud Stakes | 7f 2yo f |
| September 10 | Leopardstown (Ire) | Irish Champion Stakes | 1 1/4m 3yo+ c&f |
| September 10 | Doncaster (GB) | St Leger Stakes | a1 13/16m 3yo c&f |
| September 11 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix Vermeille | 1 1/2m 3&4yo f |
| September 17 | Curragh (Ire) | Irish St Leger | 1 3/4m 3yo+ |
| September 18 | Curragh (Ire) | National Stakes | 7f 2yo c |
| September 24 | Newmarket (GB) | Queen Elizabeth II Stakes | 1m 3yo+ |
| September 24 | Newmarket (GB) | Fillies Mile | 1m 2yo f |
| September 25 | Cologne (Ger) | Preis von Europa | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| September 29 | Newmarket (GB) | Cheveley Park Stakes | 6f 2yo f |
| September 30 | Newmarket (GB) | Middle Park Stakes | 6f 2yo c |
| October 1 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix de la Foret | 7f 3yo+ c&f |
| October 1 | Newmarket (GB) | Sun Chariot Stakes | 1m 3yo+ f&m |
| October 2 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| October 2 | Longchamp (Fr) | Pr de l'Abbaye de Longchamp | 5f 2yo+ c&f |
| October 2 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix de l'Opera | 1 1/4m 3yo+ f&m |
| October 2 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix Marcel Boussac | 1m 2yo f |
| October 2 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere | 7f 2yo c |
| October 2 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix du Cadran | 2 1/2m 4yo+ |
| October 15 | Newmarket (GB) | Champion Stakes | 1 1/4m 3yo+ |
| October 15 | Newmarket (GB) | Dewhurst Stakes | 7f 2yo c&f |
| October 15 | San Siro (Ity) | Premio Vittorio di Capua | 1m 3yo+ c&f |
| October 16 | San Siro (Ity) | Gran Premio del Jockey Club | 1 1/2m 3yo+ c&f |
| October 16 | San Siro (Ity) | Gran Criterium | 1m 2yo c&f |
| October 22 | Doncaster (GB) | Racing Post Trophy | 1m 2yo c&f |
| October 23 | Longchamp (Fr) | Prix Royal-Oak | 1 1/16m 3yo+ c&f |
| October 23 | Capannelle (Ity) | Premio Lydia Tesio | 1 1/4m 3yo+ f&m |
| October 30 | Saint-Cloud (Fr) | Criterium International | 1m 2yo c&f |
| November 6 | Capannelle (Ity) | Premio Roma | 1 1/4m 3yo+ c&f |
| November 12 | Saint-Cloud (Fr) | Criterium de Saint-Cloud | 1 1/4m 2yo c&f |
*Royal Ascot at York