California Chrome continues to shine: Horse racing talking points

Geoffrey Riddle touches on some of the items of note around the world of horse racing after a busy weekend that saw California Chrome run to a sixth straight success.

California Chrome and Victor Espinoza cruise to a win in the Awesome Again Stakes on Sunday in California. Benoit Photo / AP / October 2, 2016

There was top-class racing all around the world last weekend; from California Chrome’s sixth straight success in the Awesome Again Stakes to Found’s historic victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and a host of Breeders’ Cup trials on both sides of the Atlantic. Here is a look at some of the main talking points.

California Chrome continues to shine

California Chrome has the world at his feet after his victory in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

All of the organisations that produce ratings around the world agree that he is currently the best horse and after Postponed’s eclipse in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe behind Found on Sunday there is no longer any real argument.

California Chrome will be very hard to beat back at Santa Anita next month in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and again when he takes his chance in the Pegasus World Cup in January.

Al Quoz Sprint change

Meydan have announced that the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night is to go back up to 1,200 metres in order to attract more runners from a more diverse range of countries.

The Al Quoz Sprint was first incorporated on to the Word Cup card for the inaugural meeting at Meydan in 2010 and was staged over 1,200 metres – it was reduced to 1,000 metres the following year.

The Al Quoz Sprint provided an alternative when racing was held on the Tapeta, but now that Meydan is back to dirt in many ways it makes sense to return to the longer distance.

Eight of the 10 races in the Global Sprint Challenge, for instance, are staged over 1,200 metres. The Lightning Stakes in Australia and the King’s Stand Stakes in England are the two standouts.

The Dubai Racing Club have also announced bumper prize-money – no Carnival thoroughbred race will now be staged for less than US$100,000 (Dh367,300).

O’Brien and Moore’s genius

Whether it is personally stretching the legs of his horses before racing in the pre-parade ring to having one-to-one radio contact with his work jockeys on the gallops, Aidan O’Brien does it all.

It was just reward for his approach at Chantilly on Sunday when he saddled Found to beat stablemates Highland Reel and Order Of St George for an unprecedented 1-2-3 in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Ryan Moore is different, but cut from the same cloth. By all accounts the English rider had mapped out how the Arc may have panned out in the lead-up to Europe’s showpiece event and applied his template perfectly to the big race.

All day on Sunday horses who had raced prominently were rewarded, but Moore was wise enough to sit behind what was a rapid pace in the Arc and confident enough to pounce as late as he could.

Rise of Charlie Appleby

The Godolphin trainer was at Chantilly on Sunday to send out Wuheida to win the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac. The filly became Dubawi’s first juvenile Group 1 winner and is considered the favourite already for next year’s English Oaks.

Appleby also has Sobetsu – a 10-length maiden winner, entered as favourite for the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket on Friday. Hawkbill has already brought home the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes for him this season. This could be a landmark campaign.

Al Mourtajez’s dominance

The grey son of Dahess was superb at Chantilly on Sunday when winning the Arabian World Cup and will surely reclaim his crown in the Emir’s Sword in Doha in February.

That is a long time to wait for the next action and it is looking increasingly as if the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club next month for the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown will lure the world’s best Purebred Arabian to the UAE.

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