One of France's leading milers, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Taareef (Kitten's Joy) is the star turn on Chantilly's Saturday card as he bids to become the fifth horse in history to register back-to-back wins in the G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein. The form of his two-length defeat of the subsequent G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) in the G3 Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte July 16 and latest second to Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the course-and-distance G1 Prix du Moulin Sept. 10, sets a standard which should be insurmountable for his opponents if all goes to plan.
Third in Ascot's G2 Summer Mile July 15, the July 29 G2 York S. and in Goodwood's G2 Celebration Mile Aug. 26, Al Shaqab's Hathal (Speightstown) at last has the soft ground he requires and he could pose the biggest threat to the favourite. That organisation is also represented by the Andre Fabre-trained 3-year-old colt Buthela (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), who earned this tilt by taking a mile conditions event at Saint-Cloud at the end of August.
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