LONDON - Oratorio goes in search of his third consecutive Group 1 prize at 1 1/4 miles in Saturday's $680,000 Champion Stakes at Newmarket, a race that could still vault him into the Breeders' Cup Classic.
On the same card, Oratorio's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has entered both George Washington and Horatio Nelson in the $450,000 Dewhurst Stakes, but only one of them will run, with the state of the ground to be the deciding factor.
PARIS, FRANCE - With a pre-race Longchamp deluge adding drama to excitement, Hurricane Run battled through the elements with an electrifying late run up the rail to win the $2.16 million Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and clinch the mythical Thoroughbred championship of Europe.
In a scintillating finish, Hurricane Run drew clear of the gallant stayer Westerner after having appeared to be hopelessly beaten and trapped near the back of the 15-runner field entering the 2 1/2-furlong stretch.
PARIS, FRANCE - Kinnaird scored an improbable 70-1 upset in the 1 1/4-mile $350,000 Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp on Sunday, beating defending champ and 3-5 favorite Alexander Goldrun into third place.
The shocking result produced a finish that will have the first three finishers heading in different directions for three of the biggest races on the autumn international schedule.
PARIS - Breeders' Cup clues were nonexistent at Longchamp on Saturday as Court Masterpiece, Special Kaldoun, Oiseau Rare, and Touch of Land won the big races on a day that serves as a platesetter for Sunday's more serious affairs, chief of which is the 84th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Of Saturday's winners, the one most likely to be seen at Belmont Park on Breeders' Cup weekend is Special Kaldoun, the winner of the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein. Special Kaldoun, however, would not be going for the BC Mile.
Amadeus Wolf gave trainer Kevin Ryan and jockey Neil Callan their first winner in a Group 1 race in Friday's Middle Park Stakes for 2-year-old colts at Newmarket.
Sent off at 4-1, Amadeus Wolf finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Red Clubs.
Always Hopeful set the pace in the six-runner race, depleted from its original field of nine following the scratches of Art Museum and Classic Encounter, as well as Guest Connections, who became upset in the stalls and had to be withdrawn.
PARIS - Scorpion can give Aidan O'Brien his elusive first victory in the 1 1/2-mile at Longchamp on Sunday when 15 will line up for 84th running of the $2.16 million race, which is the envy of every European owner and trainer.
Even Kieren Fallon, who will be aboard the favored Hurricane Run, has admitted that he might be on the wrong horse in what usually amounts to Europe's championship event.
Course-and-distance specialist Coupe de Champe rates the edge in a hotly contested Group 1, $240,000 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp, which starts its big Arc weekend Saturday. A seven-furlong race, the Foret tops a program that also features four Group 2 races.
Two members of Aidan O'Brien's powerful team of juvenile colts, Ivan Denisovich and Art Museum, head the lineup for the Group 1, $310,000 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
O'Brien has won three of the last five runnings of the six-furlong Middle Park, and either of his two entries Friday would rate a favorite's chance should the other not run.
Ivan Denisovich has won the Group 2 July Stakes but was only two lengths second to Silca's Sister in the Group 1 Prix Morny last time out on Aug. 21.
