Cirrus des Aigles caught So You Think in the final 50 yards of Saturday’s Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in England, but the race was marred by a suspension and massive fine given to winning jockey Christophe Soumillon for excessive use of the whip.
Adelaide-based mare Southern Speed, the recipient of an ideal trip under Craig Williams, stormed home four wide in the stretch to wear down the former British-trained Green Moon and seize the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup.
British flat jockeys threatened to strike on Monday, and then backed away from the threat, pending a meeting on Monday between officials of the jockeys' organization and that nation's regulatory body over recent changes in rules related to the use of whips.
The new rules, implemented on Oct. 10, limit a flat jockey to seven strikes with the whip and limits jump jockeys to eight strikes. In addition, the minimum suspension was increased to five days, with financial penalties also put in place.
Campanologist, the well-traveled 6-year-old owned by Godolphin Racing, seeks his second consecutive Group 1 win in Sunday’s Gran Premier Jockey Club Italiano at San Siro racecourse.
Last month, Campanologist won the Group 1 Preis Von Europa in Cologne, Germany. Earlier this year, he raced in England and Turkey.
Campanologist will be ridden by Frankie Dettori in Sunday’s race, which is run over about 1 1/2 miles and has a purse of approximately $411,000. The Italian stakes winner Sneak A Peek is another top contender in the field of six.
Frankel, Europe’s latest superstar, makes the final start of his 3-year-old season Saturday at Ascot in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. If the horse can deliver a performance to match his halo of hype, he will end 2011 the same way he started it, undefeated and revered.
Marcellina, the winner of the Japanese 1000 Guineas in April, and Erin Court, the winner of the Japanese Oaks in May, will both attempt to rebound from recent losses when they meet in Sunday’s Group 1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse, the final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown for fillies.
The Shuka Sho is run over about 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-old fillies and is worth approximately $2,175,000.
Marcellina and Erin Court were sixth and 10th in the Group 2 Sho Rose Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse on Sept. 18, finishing well behind Whale Capture, who is part of the Shuka Sho field.
Less than two weeks after a fourth-place finish in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, So You Think will be favored to win the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, a race that could be a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.
Atlantic Jewel, now an undefeated 4 for 4, emerged as Australian racing's newest superstar when easily making the step up to Group 1 company in Caulfield's Schweppes One Thousand Guineas.
Settling ninth in the field of 11 3-year-old fillies, the imposing Fastnet Rock filly cruised into contention on the left-handed turn and swept past second favorite Mosheen in the straight with devastating ease. Without being extended, she eased clear by three lengths at the finish with her rider Michael Rodd tilting his head to the right to flash a large grin for the cameras.
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December Draw, a stakes winner earlier this month at Flemington Racecourse, will be a strong favorite to win Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup in Australia, a key prep to next month’s Melbourne Cup.
