Aigles Returns

AIGLES RETURNS 
While the main attention this weekend is on the Arc, it is to Ascot that connections of Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}) will be looking as the beloved veteran returns to his happy hunting ground of Longchamp’s G2 Qatar Prix Dollar today. Warming up for a fourth attempt at the G1 Qipco Champion S. in this race he won in 2010, 2012 and 2013, the 8-year-old has recovered from the injury sustained when winning Epsom’s G1 Coronation Cup on his latest outing June 7. “He’s very well and has enjoyed coming back into work–he’s showing a lot of good signs,” trainer Corine Barande-Barbe commented. “Two years ago he stopped in June and came back for the Dollar and won. Next is the Champion S. and after that, we’ll think about Hong Kong and then Dubai.” 
Provided the gelding is at or near his peak there is little chance for his rivals, but Godolphin’s Fractional (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) is worthy of respect on the back of a defeat of the May 18 G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup runner-upSmoking Sun (Smart Strike) in the Sept. 19 G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte. “Fractional produced a career-best performance at Maisons-Laffitte and he has really thrived over the last few weeks,” Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin commented. “We hope that he can step up again here, but Cirrus des Aigles will be very hard to beat.”