Crunch Time

Having enjoyed a virtual clockwork build-up to Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) now has to deliver in the test he seems to have been prepped for all his life. Gradually built up by Luca Cumani over the past three seasons, he is now the formidable racehorse that he always promised to be and has been on a winning streak since turning around his fortunes in last year's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. Roger Varian has inherited him nearing a peak and has successfully steered him to that via the contrasting tests of the Mar. 26 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and the June 4 G1 Coronation Cup over this trip and the G1 Juddmonte International over an extended 10 furlongs at York last time Aug. 17. Faultless in his profile, Postponed looks the obvious stand-out in a renewal that lacks its customary pizzazz at Chantilly. “The horse is very well and I feel he's in very good condition,” the Kremlin House-based trainer said. “It should be lovely ground, whether it be good-to-firm, good or on the soft side of good. It doesn't look like there's going to the volume of rain that would make the ground testing, which is what we didn't really want, so we're happy. We've had a very good run of it since York. I think it's fair to say he didn't have the ideal preparation for the Juddmonte International, but he's had a very good preparation for Sunday. I don't think you can ever going into a race like the Arc confident, but I'm confident he's in peak condition and hopefully he has every chance.”
With a trio of group 1 winners engaged, Aidan O'Brien holds every chance of gaining a second Arc should Postponed falter with Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) appearing his strongest representative. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine has taken on the role of eternal bridesmaid this season, finishing runner-up on her last five starts at this level. Her latest effort behind Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown Sept. 10 could be the best form in Europe and she is a major player. The July 23 King George winner Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was subsequently second to Postponed in the Juddmonte and seventh in the Irish Champion, while the June 16 G1 Gold Cup hero Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Wicklow Brave (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}) in The Curragh's G1 Irish St Leger over 14 furlongs last time Sept. 11. “Found is in good form. We've been happy with her since Leopardstown and everything has gone well,” O'Brien said. “Order of St George is also in good form. We were happy with his last run, other than he didn't win. We've been happy with him since and obviously any ease in the ground he gets will suit him. Highland Reel is probably ground-independent. He doesn't mind fast ground or an ease in the ground. He ran well at Leopardstown last time.”
His Highness The Aga Khan's silks have been carried to glory on four occasions and Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is charged with extending that record, but he was only eighth when injured in the Irish Champion and that tempers enthusiasm for the June 4 G1 Epsom Derby and June 25 G1 Irish Derby hero. “He's got some healing power, the way he recovered from his bruised foot at Epsom to win the Irish Derby and again he recovered from being struck into in the Irish Champion Stakes,” jockey Pat Smullen commented. “Those little things don't seem to affect him, he's able to take it. It's a bit tight on the turn and it's a short straight so there's a fear of congestion, but there's a long run down the back to sort yourself out. If anything it's more demanding than Longchamp, so if anything that should suit our horse. Postponed is the stand-out horse, his form is rock solid. No matter what the ground is or over 10 or 12 furlongs, he's a proper horse and the one we have to beat.” Trainer Dermot Weld was walking the track on Saturday and was surprised to see it had taken Friday night's marginal rainfall well. “The track is riding a lot faster than I thought it would,” he said. “It's a very sandy track, so the rain that falls is absorbed very quickly and it's riding quicker in places with this warm weather drying it out all the time. He is very well and the ground is safe. He's an amazingly tough colt and a lovely genuine horse to train. I'm very happy with him, but he's had some tough races and he was pretty badly cut into in the Irish Champion Stakes. He was badly bruised, but it healed nicely and it worked out well. Some people say Chantilly is stiffer than Longchamp, but I've heard the other said and we'll take it as it is. The horse is well and set, so we'll take it as it comes.”
Japan is due a success here and Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd's Makahiki (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) could provide the rapturous travelling fans the breakthrough based on his smooth win in the G2 Prix Niel over this course and distance three weeks ago. The May 29 G1 Tokyo Yushun hero will be at home on this seasonally-rare quick surface and he could be the pick of the “trial” winners over the G2 Prix Foy scorer Silverwave (Fr) (Silver Frost {Ire}) and G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Since 1999, when El Condor Pasa (Kingmambo) went so close, raiders from that country have placed on four more occasions and jockey Christophe-Patrice Lemaire is hoping to break that hoodoo. “It is a big challenge, but I feel my horse is in great condition,” he said. “He's a top-class horse in Japan and won the Prix Niel when he was not 100 per-cent fit. He was fit enough to win, but it was his first run for a couple of months and he had to travel. He has plenty of talent and I'm certain he will improve and he will be ready for Sunday, so I'm very confident. The Arc is always a tough race to win, but I think we have a very good chance. I have a good story with Japan so for me, as a Frenchman, to win on a Japanese horse, would be something special.” Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to improve on his third 12 months ago and comes into the latest renewal in peak condition having been fourth in the Irish Champion. Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented, “He's come out of the Irish Champion really well. It was really his first proper race of the year. Everybody is going there thinking they have a good chance. Andre is very happy with him–we couldn't be more pleased.”