Black Caviar, unbeaten in 13 starts and Australia’s reigning Horse of the Year, will be an overwhelming favorite to win her first start since May in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield, Australia, on Saturday.
Black Caviar is the star attraction on a nine-race program that features three Group 1 races, including the Caulfield Guineas. Trained by Peter Moody, Black Caviar has been in serious training for a month in preparation for the Australian season.
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By getting so good, so fast, the 3-year-old German filly Danedream might have run herself out of a start in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup.
The 4-year-old filly Curran Chan won her fourth consecutive race, and first Group 1, beating males in the $2.4 million Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.
Rocket Man, the winner of the $2 million Golden Shaheen for sprinters in Dubai in March, could only finish fourth as the heavy favorite.
Nahrain remained unbeaten after four races, and earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf next month, with a nose victory in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Sunday.
Nahrain outfinished Announce to give trainer Roger Varian his first career Group 1 win. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Nahrain, 3, was always near the front in the race over about 1 1/4 miles for fillies and mares. She took the lead in the final furlong and was fully extended to hold off Announce, the 2-1 favorite.
It was ladies day Sunday in sub-tropical Paris, where the autumn temperature ranged near 80 degrees and the German filly Danedream turned in a red-hot performance, leading a female sweep of the top three places in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Dream Ahead won the Group 1 Prix de la Foret on Sunday at Longchamp, but all eyes were on the horse a head behind him at the finish, as Goldikova wrapped up the European portion of her storied career with a narrow loss in Paris.
The 6-year-old Goldikova probably has one dance left, with her fourth trip to the United States likely still in the works next month. Goldikova’s first three trans-Atlantic trips produced wins in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and she appeared to run well enough in defeat Sunday to justify another start in the race.
Arc weekend in Paris begins on Saturday at Longchamp with a program that features four Group 2 races, and a few races that could produce runners for the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4-5.
The Prix Daniel Wildenstein, over about a mile, and a possible prep for the BC Mile, includes Rio de la Plata, who was second in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on Sept. 11, as well as the French Group 3 winners Best Dating and Zinabaa.
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Two races after the Arc on Sunday's card at Longchamp, Announce, the winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in August, will be well-backed against 10 rivals in the Prix de l’Opera, which is run over 1 1/4 miles on turf and is worth $470,750.
Trained by Andre Fabre, Announce must beat Banimpire, who won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot in June; and Sandy’s Charm, the winner of the Group 3 Prix de Lieury for 3-year-olds fillies at Deauville in August.
Goldikova makes her 20th and final French start Sunday in the Prix de la Foret, attempting to win the 15th Group or Grade 1 race of her career in her Paris finale. Before being retired, Goldikova is expected to race once more following the Foret when she tries for a fourth straight Breeders’ Cup Mile win Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.
