Flintshire Bound for Saratoga

Juddmonte Farms’ Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}), runner-up to Main Sequence (Aldebaran) in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Turf in his only other trip to the United States, is set for another trans-Atlantic journey for the GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. at Saratoga. The 12-furlong test is part of the monster Travers Day program Aug. 29.

“We had other possible options,” Lord Grimthorpe, European racing manager to Prince Khalid Abdullah, told the TDN Thursday. “One was actually this weekend in Berlin [for the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin], but then the Sword Dancer sort of came to mind. We hope that it would be good, fast going, which he likes.”

The homebred 5-year-old, runner-up in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe ahead of his Santa Anita effort Nov. 1, closed the season with a richly deserved success in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase in December. Kept in training this season, the son of Dance Routine (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) finished runner-up to Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}) in his first two starts of 2015, including the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 28, before finishing a one-paced third in the G1 Coronaition Cup at Epsom June 6. He was last seen chasing home Arc victress Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud June 28 and was an intended runner in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. July 25, but came out when the ground turned unsuitably soft.

All things equal, Flintshire could use the Sword Dancer as a steppingstone to Longchamp the first Sunday of October and a possible rematch with Treve.

“It fits in with a possible program–providing the ground is alright again–with going to the Arc,” Lord Grimthorpe explained. “It would be about five weeks before the Arc, so from that point, that fits in. The horse has been in very good form and we’re looking forward to coming to Saratoga.”

Though Flintshire has twice as many runner-up efforts (eight) as wins, Lord Grimthorpe confirms the entire retains his zest for racing

“I wish we had 10 more like him,” Lord Grimthorpe said. “He seems to be as enthusiastic as ever. He seems to be enjoying his work from that point of view. He’s still run a super race [in the Breeders’ Cup Turf] against a horse that was ultimately a champion. He’s come across Treve in the Arc, and she’s pretty exceptional, really. We were a little disappointed in the Coronation Cup. I just think the race didn’t pan out quite right. He wasn’t disgraced, but we expected to win that. I thought he was going to get away from Treve in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and he’s run a blinder, and he’s actually reversed the form with [third-placed] Dolniya, which is pleasing. So from that point of view, it suggests he’s still in good nick and we still have the faith in him.”

Late-season targets could include the G1 Japan Cup or a defense of his title at Sha Tin, but the Breeders’ Cup is more of a question mark.

“We have to be realistic that Keeneland at the end of October is going to be easy ground, to say the least,” Lord Grimthorpe opined. “Of course we’ll look at it and see. We’d love to come for the Breeders’ Cup, but I think it would be questionable at this stage.”

Though the call is not his to make, Lord Grimthorpe suggested it was also possible Flintshire could remain in training in 2016.

“From various points of view, we’re having fun racing him at the moment and unless something alters that, we’ll probably carry on,” he reported. “But obviously Prince Khalid will decide that at the appropriate moment.”