English-based Wootton Bassett is the favorite among 15 final entrants to land the Group 1 Poule D’Essai des Poulains, or French 2000 Guineas, on Sunday at Longchamp.
The Poule D’Essai des Poulains is one of four group races Sunday at Longchamp and one of two Group 1’s, the other being the Poule D’Essai des Pouliche, or French 1000 Guineas, for 3-year-old fillies. Both Group 1’s are contested over one mile.
Buena Vista, the 2010 Japanese Horse of the Year, will be a strong favorite to defend her title in Sunday’s $2,214,000 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.
The Group 1 race, over about a mile on turf, will be Buena Vista’s first start since an eighth-place finish in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 26.
A winner of 8 of 18 starts and a staggering $12,371,878, Buena Vista is making her second start of 2011 in the Victoria Mile, which drew a maximum field of 18.
The six-horse Dante Stakes, a major Epsom Derby prep on Thursday at York in northeastern England, included three major Derby hopefuls in Carlton House, Seville, and World Domination, but World Domination failed to progress from a strong maiden win, and Carlton House emerged as the sharpest of the trio with a 1 1/2- length victory over Seville in the Group 2 Dante.
Canford Cliffs, who ended his 3-year-old season last July with three consecutive wins in Group 1 stakes, will be heavily favored in his 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse, west of London.
Canford Cliffs is part of a field of 10 in the $285,000 Lockinge Stakes, run on a straightaway mile.
Frankel, the unbeaten English 2000 Guineas winner, was removed from Epsom Derby consideration partly because of skepticism concerning his ability to deliver a representative performance at the race’s 1 1/2-mile distance. Another factor in the decision made by his connections, trainer Henry Cecil and owner Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms, is the fact that they may have another horse well suited to the Epsom Derby. That is World Domination, who will try to burnish his credentials for the Derby when he starts Thursday in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York.
Monday’s Group 3 Prix de Guiche for 3-year-old colts at Chantilly racecourse in France was marred by a serious leg injury suffered by 9-10 favorite Inoubliable in the last 50 yards of the race over 1 1/8 miles.
Inoubliable was able to finish fourth behind Absolutely Yes, who won the race by a length over Nobel Winner. According to a report in the Racing Post, Inoubliable was scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday evening in France. A Singspiel colt, Inoubliable made his stakes debut in the Prix de Guiche after winning his first two starts.
Arizona Jewel, a maiden race winner in her second career start in April, makes her stakes debut in Wednesday’s Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York racecourse in England, a prep for the English Oaks at Epsom Downs on June 4.
Trained by Henry Cecil for Khalid Abdullah, Arizona Jewel, a half-sister to 2005 Arlington Million winner Powerscourt, is listed at 12-1 in the future book for the English Oaks. She rose in stature after winning a maiden race over 1 1/4 miles at Sandown, south of London, on April 24.
Pour Moi ran past eight rivals in Saturday's Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud in France to join the list of contenders for the Epsom Derby in England on June 4.
Pour Moi, ridden by Mickael Barzalona for trainer Andre Fabre, won by 1 1/2 lengths over 10-1 Bubble Chic, who finished clear of the 4-5 favorite, Vadamar, who was third through the straight. Pour Moi was sent off as 12-1 in the race over 1 1/4 miles.