French Fifteen won Sunday’s Group 1 Criterium International for 2-year-olds colts and fillies at Saint-Cloud, France, and in doing so flattered the chances of a European invader in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.
The influence of French racing, and even a longshot from the United States, will be strongly felt in Tuesday’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse, Australia’s most famous horse race.
Defending champion Americain will be favored for French trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre. A 6-year-old Kentucky-bred horse by Dynaformer, Americain won the Group 2 Drake International Stakes at Mooney Valley Racecourse on Oct. 22, his first start in Australia since the 2010 Melbourne Cup.
In front of a crowd of over 100,000 on a glorious day, many of Australian racing's biggest heroes were in action on the first day of Flemington's Spring Carnival. The four Group 1s contested at the Melbourne oval, resulted in mixed performances by the betting favorites.
Emerging star Atlantic Jewel ($2.80), a 3-year-old filly owned by Ireland's Coolmore Stud, put forth a breathtaking display when dusting her own generation in the Group 2, $300,000 Wakeful Stakes at 1 1/4 miles. Atlantic Jewel is now 5 for 5.
The French stakes winners French Fifteen and Kendam make their first starts in a Group 1 in Sunday’s Criterium International for 2-year-olds colts and fillies at Saint-Cloud, France.
They pose a home-country threat to Irish invader Learn, who was fourth in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, England, on Oct. 22. By Galileo, Learn is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has won the last two runnings of the Criterium International, which is worth approximately $350,000 and is run over a mile. O’Brien won the race in 2009 with Jan Vermeer, and last year with Roderic O’Connor.
Four Group 1 races, including the Mackinnon Stakes, the last prep for the Melbourne Cup, are part of Saturday’s program at Flemington Racecourse in Australia, the first day of that track’s famous spring carnival.
Orfevre became the first horse in six years to sweep the Japanese Triple Crown with an impressive victory in Sunday’s Group 1 Japanese St. Leger, the Kikuka Sho, at Kyoto Racecourse.
Ridden by Kenichi Ikezoe, Orfevre, the 2-5 favorite, rallied from the middle of the 18-horse field to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Win Variation, a 6-1 shot who closed from last. Tosen Ra, the 11-1 third choice, finished third.
Orfevre’s win could lead to a start against older horses in the $6.1 million Japan Cup over 1 1/2 miles at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 27.
Camelot, looking like the next stable star for trainer Aidan O’Brien, sparkled in his stakes debut Saturday at Doncaster in England, where he won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.
England is all abuzz over changes in whip rules, but no such concerns arose in the Racing Post Trophy. Jockey Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son, had no use for his stick, with Camelot finishing powerfully of his own accord.
On an afternoon when the sensational Black Caviar easily ran her lifetime record to 15 for 15, fellow mare Pinker Pinker stole the biggest headline when running down New Zealand star Jimmy Choux to take Moonee Valley's $3.05 million Group 1 Tattersalls Cox Plate.
A field of 14 came through Friday’s final declaration stage for the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, France’s premier autumn race for marathoners. The Prix Royal-Oak is carded for 1 15/16 miles and will be contested Sunday at Longchamp over good-to-soft going.
The prospective field includes the 2010 race winner, Gentoo, who has failed to win in five starts since his Royal-Oak win a year ago. Gentoo, a 7-year-old, has finished no better than fifth in his last four races and would need a sharp form reversal to contend.