The Eagle’s Lair

While the catalogue of accomplishments of Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}) is thickening all over the world year upon year, there is no doubt that Longchamp is where he is happiest, and therefore hardest to quell. Of the 20 occasions the country’s most popular horse has turned his attentions to the Bois de Boulogne, he has been successful on 13 of them as well as being demoted in last year’s G2 Prix Dollar, which would have been his 11th pattern-race win here were it not for the stewards’ intervention. On Sunday the 9-year-old bids for back-to-back renewals of the G1 Prix d’Ispahan, in which he also finished second during his campaigns in 2011 and 2012 before being stripped of the silver medal in the latter race due to a prohibited substance. In his latest display of verve when upstaging the slightly younger Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the May 3 G1 Prix Ganay, Cirrus des Aigles demonstrated that he still carries the fire, but he has a different task at hand this time faced with the relatively youthful Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). So dominant when dealing with The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the nine-furlong G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan last time Mar. 28, the Wertheimers’ 5-year-old is attaining an air of invincibility. 

“He was very impressive in Dubai and came out of it very well–he never felt the race and took it well,” trainer Freddy Head said ominously for the diehard Cirrus fans. “I was very pleased, as I wasn’t sure he would travel that well, but he adapted very well. He is bred to run over a mile and a half and even two miles, but a mile or an extended mile is fine for him and I think he might get a mile and a quarter now, as he’s more relaxed. We’ll see what he can do, but he could be very good. From the first day I had him, I thought he was something special.” 

Cirrus des Aigles’ trainer Corine Barande-Barbe told PA Sport, “Christophe Soumillon judged the ride right in the Ganay and he knows the horse very well. He lets Cirrus des Aigles do what he wants–the race was not hard for him and his rhythm was perfect. That win gave us a lot of pleasure and he has been doing very well since then.” 

Aside from this obvious match, it will be interesting to see how close OTI Management Pty Ltd and Alain Chopard’s habitual front-runner Gailo Chop (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}) finishes off them at the business end. Not seen since wiring Deauville’s G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano over 10 furlongs in August, he has winning form here from the G3 Prix la Force and G3 Prix Noailles last April.