The Japanese horse Orfevre punched his ticket to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while the French horse Moonlight Cloud booked trainer Freddie Head passage back to the Breeders’ Cup Mile during the course of a major day’s racing Sunday at Longchamp.
Royal Diamond, a 6-year-old who had failed to win a race of consequence in any of his previous 24 starts, came out on the right side of a three-horse photo finish in the Group 1 Irish St. Leger on Saturday at the Curragh.
The cheers that greeted Derby and 2000 Guineas winner Camelot as he loped past the finish post on his way to the start for Saturday’s classic St. Leger Stakes turned to stunned mumbles some 10 minutes later, after chances for the first English Triple Crown winner in 42 years went down by three-quarters of a length at the hands of the 25-1 longshot Encke carrying Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin blue.
Somewhat lost amid Camelot’s bid for an English Triple Crown this weekend is the presence of Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre at Longchamp on Sunday.
As dual-English classic winner Camelot goes to the post Saturday for the St. Leger Stakes, it has been 42 years since Nijinsky won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Epsom Derby on Epsom Downs, and the St. Leger in Doncaster to become what turned out to be the last Triple Crown winner of the 20th century.
On Saturday afternoon at Doncaster in England, trainer John Gosden will take two shots at odds-on favorite Camelot in the English St. Leger Stakes, but Gosden might have a stronger chance to take down the Group 1 Irish St. Leger on Saturday evening at The Curragh.
All eyes will be focused on the Town Moor at Doncaster Racecourse in Yorkshire County on Saturday when the heroically named Camelot attempts to dust off the history books and become the first winner of the English Triple Crown in 42 years.
Sky Lantern gave noted trainer of 2-year-olds Richard Hannon his latest success in a major race for juveniles when she won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on Sunday at The Curragh in Ireland.
Snow Fairy out-kicked Nathaniel to capture the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths on Saturday at Leopardstown.
The most surprising thing about Sunday’s Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland is the fact trainer Aidan O’Brien doesn’t have an obviously prime contender in the Group 1 race for 2-year-old fillies.
