With no Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) this year, Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret at Chantilly has an open feel and one who could fill a void is Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Successful in last year's G2 Challenge S. over this trip at Newmarket, he bettered that effort on his penultimate start when second to Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville Aug. 6 before capturing the G2 Park S. returned to this distance at Doncaster Sept. 16.
“This is definitely his trip at the highest level,” said trainer Martyn Meade. “He's won over a mile and over six furlongs, but in Group 1 seven furlongs is him. The soft ground isn't a worry and I'm fairly confident of turning the tables on Brando over the extra half furlong.”
At a track at which the draw is always significant over this trip, a specialist could come to the fore and fitting that bill is Al Shaqab Racing's 2016 runner-up Karar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). He registered a first black-type success over this course and distance in the G3 Prix du Pin Sept. 3 and is gradually creeping towards a first at this level. Also in the Al Shaqab silks is last year's G1 Prix Jean Prat hero Zelzal (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who drops in trip after a latest third in the G1 Sussex S. on extremely testing going at a far-from-Glorious Goodwood Aug. 2.
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