From Kremlin Cottage Stables

Following a highly successful start to the season and with the 2000 Guineas already in the bag, TDN columnist, Hugo Palmer, considers the merits of international campaigns for his horses. Hugo enjoyed a Group 1 victory on Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day last year when G1 Irish Oaks heroine, Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) landed the Prix de l´Opera, and is seeking further success on foreign soil this year.

There are some very strong race programmes in Europe, particularly in France and Germany. My first-ever stakes winner was Making Eyes (Dansili), who won the Prix Jacques De Bremond at Vichy in France under Iorits Mendizabal. She was, in fact, an intended runner in the Listed Pipalong S. at Pontefract, but the meeting was cancelled as the track was waterlogged. Fortunately, the race was cancelled an hour before the entries closed in Vichy, which meant we could reroute her to France; this just goes to show how much luck you need with these races.

There are some trainers that are extremely shrewd when it comes to plundering races abroad. Co-Newmarket trainer Gay Kelleway springs to mind as someone who has been very successful at pinpointing races in France and reaping the rewards. Personally, I see these race programmes abroad as a great opportunity to secure black-type, particularly for fillies. I've twice been third in the Kronimus-Rennen, which is a listed race in Baden-Baden, with Disprove (Ire) (Approve {Ire}) and Tipping Over(Ire) (Aussie Rules), which was fantastic for their owners, as they would have been hard-pushed to gain black- type in Britain. We always say that British racing is the best in the world, and the reason we say that is because British races are the hardest to win.

In terms of racing a horse in Dubai over the winter, I've only had one experience of having a horse over there for a prolonged period of time, when I had Short Squeeze (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) there in 2014. Leading trainer Mark Johnston is convinced that Dubai is very good for the horse and thinks that they improve a whole load from it and it is beneficial to run them very quickly on return. My horse, Short Squeeze, ran very quickly on his return from Dubai, finishing second both times before breaking down at York at the Ebor meeting. He is now enjoying a lovely life as a riding horse, but I can't help but feel that the attritional nature of the conditions in Dubai didn't suit him. However, I'm far from suggesting that the conditions don't suit every horse and I certainly wouldn't shy away from doing it again. Horses are expensive to own and everyone buys a horse dreaming that they're going to be like Galileo Gold and win a Guineas, but when their dream has slightly gone and they are still a very good horse (Short Squeeze was rated 110), Dubai is perfect. The prize money is fantastic and with the sun on their back, some horses can improve hugely. Brendan Powell's horse, Dark Emerald (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), was rated 100 when he first ran in Dubai and ended up winning two races and picking up over £175,000 in prize money. I hope to be able to do something similar in the near future.