Andre Fabre shares the current record of seven wins in Saturday's G2 Qatar Prix Dollar and has the chance to gain the honour outright as Avilius (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) returns to Chantilly after his latest second in the G2 Prix Niel. Beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in that Sept. 10 Arc trial, Godolphin's homebred had previously finished third to another high-class son of Frankel in Eminent (Ire) in the 10-furlong G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville Aug. 15.
“Avilius never runs a bad race and the drop back to 10 furlongs, together with cut in the ground, will suit,” Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard said. “We are hopeful that he can run another good race.”
First, second and third in the G3 La Coupe over this track and trip June 17, Robin of Navan (Fr) (American Post {GB}), Garlingari (Fr) (Linngari {Ire}) and First Sitting (GB) (Dansili {GB}) re-oppose. The former may have the edge, having also placing second in the nine-furlong G1 Prix d'Ispahan May 28 and fourth in the Sept. 10 G1 Prix du Moulin at this track, but Garlingari enters battle again on the back of a win in the Sept. 16 G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte and First Sitting has since captured Deauville's G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron Aug. 15.
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