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New Paper
2 hours ago
- New Paper
Japan thinking out of Arc box in Prix Le Marois
The €1 million (S$1.5 million) Group 1 Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques Le Marois (1,600m), one of France's most international features on its racing calendar, has spread its wings to even further afield at its 2025 renewal at Deauville on Aug 17 - Japan. From the original three entries filed back in June, two have made the final cut of 11 runners facing the starter at 9.50pm Singapore time - Ascoli Piceno and Go To First. Japan is not testing new Group 1 ground in France, as they did win the 104-year-old race once in 1998 with Taki Shuttle. But it is better known for its frustrating chase of the elusive Holy Grail of French racing, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2,400m). Japan has come to Longchamp and seen its showpiece 22 times since 1969, but never conquered. By despatching two worthy contenders to the seaside resort, the powerful racing nation will be hoping they can go one better than the four Arc runner-ups - El Condor Pasa (1999), Nakayama Festa (2010), Orfevre (2012 and 2013). The most agonisingly close was Orfevre famously passing Solemia, only for the latter to unexpectedly get back in front where it mattered. While Yasuda Kinen winner Jantar Mantar, the Japanese entry who pulled out, would have been the undisputed drawcard for the Land of the Rising Sun, the other two are not there for a holiday either. Sunday Racing's Ascoli Piceno is a globetrotting mare who bounced back from a defeat in the Golden Eagle (1,500m) under Joao Moreira in Sydney in November to claim the Group 2 Turf Sprint (1,400m) in Saudi Arabia on Feb 22. The Daiwa Major four-year-old is known as the reigning mile queen back home, with the Grade 1 Victoria Mile (1,600m) in Tokyo on May 18 her crowning glory. Japanese-based rider Christophe Lemaire partnered the Yoichi Kuroiwa-trained six-time winner to both the Victoria Mile and Saudi wins, and will be back to his place of birth to ride her. "I think she's more comfortable on quick ground, so that's why she was close to the pace in Saudi over six and a half furlongs, and she was off the pace on soft ground in Tokyo over a mile," said Lemaire. "We're going to have a warm temperature, and the ground should be quick enough for her on Sunday. I'm quite confident." The surprise guest is Go To First who, unlike Ascoli Piceno, has not chalked up any frequent flyer point, but also presents a much less glittering resume than her travelling companion. With a career forged only domestically, the Koichi Shintani-trained Rulership entire won only once in five starts, in a stakes race over 1,600m at Nakayama in December. On paper, the five-year-old will struggle to fly the Japanese flag high in such lofty company in the Prix Jacques Le Marois. But Japan will still be up against stiff challenge, especially against the bulk (six) of the foreign brigade made up entirely of the awesome Great Britain-Irish armada, winners of eight of the last 10 editions of the Deauville classic. England spearheads the charge from across the Channel with four top milers, 2024 Irish 2000 Guineas (1,600m) winner Rosallion, 2024 English 2000 Guineas (1,600m) winner Notable Speech, Dancing Gemini and Docklands. The latter just beat Rosallion in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1,600m), while Aidan O'Brien saddles Diego Velazquez and The Lion In Winter for Ireland. The home team has only three runners, though they are anything but outclassed. The executors of the late Aga Khan hold two aces who can both win the race it is sponsoring - Zabiari for in-form trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and Ridari for Melbourne Cup-winning (Dunaden in 2011) trainer Mikel Delzangles. Unbeaten in three runs (Group 3 Chantilly mile last start) since going to Graffard, Zabiari, a Wootton Bassett four-year-old colt, is the flagbearer for the iconic green and red epaulettes silks. "Francis is happy with Zabiari's gallop at Chantilly on Tuesday (Aug 12). Mickael Barzalona has picked him," said Aga Khan's racing manager Nemone Routh. "We'll see if he's Group 1 material or just a handy Group 2-3 competitor. It'll be his first time down a straight, I think he can run a place. "Ridari will also have to get used to the straight as he can be hard-going, but Mikel has trained him over a straight course a few times." The third French runner is the 11-time winner King Gold for Chantilly trainer Nicolas Caullery. The Group 1-winning (2023 Maurice de Gheest) grey last won his third Group 3 De La Porte Maillot Stakes (1,400m) on June 19 and also boasts a Group 3 win in Dubai, the Firebreak Stakes (1,600m) on Jan 24. manyan@
New Paper
2 hours ago
- New Paper
Pallaton to bloom further in the Rosebud
With the rainy weather in Sydney not letting up, the Rosebud meeting will still take place on a heavy track at Rosehill on Aug 16. Nonetheless, plenty of hot action is to be expected across the eight races (starting at 10.10am Singapore time) picked up by the Singapore Pools for wagering. The A$200,000 (S$167,000) Listed Rosebud is a three-year-old feature over 1,100m that kicks off the Spring campaign, and has garnered a small but select field of six youngsters following the scratching of Shaggy. On face value, Pallaton may have put a dampener on his cracking Randwick debut last December and all the hype as ex-Kranji trainer Michael Freedman's best two-year-old last season, with two subsequent unplaced starts. As a result, his Golden Slipper plans were scuppered, even if Freedman still ended up winning the Australian premier sprint for two-year-olds with Marhoona. Jockey Tommy Berry is convinced the deflating runs did not do the Wootton Bassett colt justice. "He took all before him at his first start, then had a little break and was a bit big going into the second run and you saw that late," said the jockey, who won the 2013 Singapore Gold Cup aboard Tropaios for Freedman. "His third run, he'd had a bit of a setback and he had a horse either side of him in the run, got his mouth open and wanted to charge a little bit. "He was his own worst enemy towards the end of his prep but it was a long prep for him as well. "Coming into this preparation, we've put a crossover noseband on him which he seems to have adapted to very quickly. He has put two really nice trials together, so we're pretty confident going into the weekend." The wet does not daunt Berry either as Wootton Bassett's are known to thrive on such surfaces. The top Sydney jockey, who finished a distant eighth to perennial champion James McDonald last season, has sprung off the starting blocks this term. On three wins in only three metropolitan meetings, he is just one win behind early leader McDonald and can bank on not just pre-race (3-2) favourite Pallaton to pad up his score. Tuileries (5-2) and Our Gold Hope (8-1) are among his other decent chances from his six other bookings, the latter a value hope in the A$200,000 Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1,400m). The Robert and Luke Price-trained Lope De Vega mare's narrow third to Ceolwulfin the Group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2,000m) sticks out as the best formline. She will, however, have to be wary of Palmetto (5-1) who is first-up for ex-Kuala Lumpur-based Kiwi trainer John Sargent (Malaysia champion trainer in 2000). Palmetto had a mixed Autumn campaign that yielded a Listed Canberra Cup (2,000m) success and midfield finishes in Sydney. Though the son of Ghibellines is seven, Sargent believes he is a late bloomer, but needs to run well on Aug 16 first before taking the path he has plotted for him towards more serious targets like the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1,600m) at Randwick on Sept 6 and the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1,600m) at Moonee Valley on Sept 26. "He has finally matured, being a New Zealand-bred horse and being slow-maturing," said Sargent. "His trials have been super and I'd expect him to run well on Saturday." However, the 14-5 favourite War Eternal may be the horse they all have to gun down. The Bjorn Baker-trained four-time winner looked in a spot of bother in a small four-horse field in a Benchmark 94 (1,300m) on a heavy track at Rosehill on Aug 2, but rallied late to keep eventual winner The Novelist honest to the line. It is an open race but the Pierro seven-year-old can score in the expert hands of Jason Collett. manyan@
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Former Everton midfielder Doucoure joins Neom
Former Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has joined Neom on a free transfer, the Saudi top-flight club said on Friday. The 32-year-old Doucoure has moved to Neom, who will play in the Saudi Pro League for the first time this season, after his contract with Everton expired in June after a five-year spell. "Football was not just a game, it was my dream, my heartbeat, my whole life," Doucoure said in a video posted on his new club's X account. "And today, it's time for my new journey with Neom. The story isn't over, this is just the beginning", he added. Doucoure made 166 appearances for Everton in all competitions, scoring 21 goals. Neom have signed several players in the clsoe season, including French striker Alexandre Lacazette, Polish goalkeeper Marcin Bulka and Ivorian midfielder Amadou Kone. Neom begin their Saudi Pro League campaign against Al-Ahli on August 28.
