Given the record that winners of the G2 Qatar Prix Niel have overall in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, it is a surprise that 10 years have passed since Rail Link (GB) became the latest of the dozen to complete the double.
He was trained like five other Niel-Arc heroes by Andre Fabre, who boasts 11 successes in this in total, and the master of Chantilly puts forward Al Shaqab Racing's progressive Doha Dream (Fr) (Shamardal) this time. Not seriously tested when winning over this trip in the Listed Derby de l'Ouest at Nantes July 4 and Vichy's Listed Prix Frederic de Lagrange 25 days later, he could be a secret weapon with the autumn showpiece looming.
“He could either run in this or stay in his box, but I would prefer to see him run in this,” Fabre simply said.
He faces a tough task competing with Kaneko Makoto Holdings's Makahiki (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who made up for defeat in the G1 Satsuki Sho at Nakayama Apr. 17 by winning the G1 Tokyo Yushun, or Japanese Derby, over 10 furlongs at Tokyo May 29.
Stopped in his tracks when fifth in the G2 Dante S. when last seen at York May 12, Khalid Abdullah's Midterm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) returns from an injury-enforced absence and it is fascinating that Sir Michael Stoute brings him here. Previously, the son of Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) looked Britain's leading Derby candidate when winning the Apr. 22 G3 Sandown Classic Trial over 10 furlongs.
Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said, “Obviously he has had a break since the Dante and this is his comeback run. He is in good form and has been moving well, but he has always been a lazy worker so it is hard to fully assess how he is, as it were. Certainly all the work has been progressive and pleasing. We were confident he would be back this season, but things have got to go right. It looks a nice race to reintroduce him and it will tell us where we want to be for the future.”
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