Diamonds and Stars

Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Foy at Chantilly is a fascinating race, with Godolphin's Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) pitched in against Japan's latest Arc actor Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) as they prep for the all-important one in three weeks' time. While the 3-year-old division seems to have a clear leader in Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), the older brigade have still to play their hand where the Arc is concerned and the May 1 G1 Prix Ganay hero Cloth of Stars represents the Andre Fabre stable successful a record eight times. With the same organisation's talented July 14 G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil scorer Talismanic (GB) (Medaglia d'Oro) there to provide the pace if required, he could yet dampen the visitors's hopes. “We have kept Cloth of Stars fresh for an autumn campaign,” Fabre said. “It is a tough race, but he is working well, has a good turn of foot and should take some beating. Talismanic won his last race at Saint-Cloud well and has been doing good since, so I hope he will run well.”

Satono Diamond faces the now-customary question of how his domestic form will hold up against the best of the Europeans on usually slow conditions. His successes in the G1 Kikuka Sho and G1 Arima Kinen last year showed him to be high-class and trainer Yasutoshi Ikee who went so close twice with Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) is happy he can make a similar mark in France.

“Sunday is not the main target, but I'm very happy with his condition,” he told the Racing Post. “This year Satono Diamond has really progressed physically. Last year he was a little weak, but he's muscled up a lot. Orfevre had a very difficult temperament and was not at all easy for the jockey to control in a race. All you could do was wait with him and then come with a run in the home straight. But Satono Diamond is a very intelligent horse and can adapt to any situation in a race. If there's no pace then you can take him forward and make the running. If they go quick up front you can ride more of a waiting race and accelerate at the finish. He can handle any change of pace during a race and he's much better suited to the Arc in that he can adapt to all kinds of races. That was the main reason I chose to bring him for the race.”