Tag Archive for: Andre Fabre

Cualificar denies Bay City Roller in Niel thriller

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Cualificar snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a thrilling finishing flourish in the Qatar Prix Niel to deny George Scot’s Bay City Roller.

Andre Fabre’s French Derby runner-up slightly disappointed last time when only third in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and looked like having to settle for a minor role once again at ParisLongchamp as William Buick saw his passage halted by significant travel problems as the race began to unfold.

However, Buick held his nerve and once finding a gap and meeting clean air, flew home to deny Bay City Roller in the shadow of the winning post.

Paddy Power make the winner a 14-1 shot from 66s for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with the master trainer confirming the October 5 showpiece as the target.

Fabre told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s an impressive win for sure, but this is just a prep race for the Arc and it was what I was hoping and expecting with the extra two furlongs and softer ground.

“I took this route with Trempolino a long time ago and he became quite heavy this summer so I thought he would need the extra race (at Deauville last month).”

On his Arc hand, which includes Prix Foy runner-up Sosie, Fabre added: “They are two serious horses.”

Buick was impressed with his mount and concurs with Fabre that he has improved for moving up in distance.

He added: “I was in that position from pretty much the get-go and I knew all the way through the race I was going to have to try and find an out at some stage.

“In these races the horses are often closely matched and you don’t often get the gap. I didn’t get any room down the inside so had to come back to come out and he still finished the way he did to win the race.

“It always takes a bit of doing and he’s a horse who is improving. I was impressed with him when I rode him in the Prix du Jockey Club and I think he’s only getting better. It was his first time going a mile and a half and he was very happy going the distance so you would have to be happy with what he did.”

George Scott was delighted with Bay City Roller and said: “I am obviously very pleased with how he ran. We have always believed in him, and we were disappointed at York, but he had his excuses that day and he showed his true level again today.

“A horse like him has his whole future ahead of him. I am delighted for Sheikh Nasser (owner). He has a very good horse here with great potential. Bay City Roller has a big future, so this is enjoyable and very exciting.

“I think he will have another race, so we’ll discuss it with Sheikh Nasser and see what he thinks. But yes, he will have another run, so we will see. We desperately need soft ground! Everywhere we go, it dries up! I promise you, he will be a much better horse with some ease in the ground, so we will wait.

“Today was a test over a mile and a half, and he showed he stays it without any problem. He was bred for it, he had won a Group Two over 1,400 metres (seven furlongs) at two, so he has speed and now he stays. He has a lot of quality, and I’m happy to train him.”

Andre Fabre delighted by Birr Castle’s pacemaking turn

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Andre Fabre felt the front-running performance of Birr Castle “added some spice” to proceedings in the Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday.

The master French trainer provided the five-year-old as a pacemaker for favourite and eventual winner Ombudsman, trained by John and Thady Gosden but in the same Godolphin ownership.

Ridden by Robert Havlin, Birr Castle had them all on the stretch and at one stage held a huge advantage.

Hot on the heels of 150-1 chance Qirat winning the Sussex Stakes, another huge shock briefly looked on the cards before he began to tire but to his credit he held on for third place, only beaten by the front two in the betting.

“He certainly added a bit of spice to the race! Nobody was expecting such a scenario,” said Fabre.

“He’s not a bad horse. He had a quiet season last year, but he was affected by a virus. He has a good rating, he’s Group-placed.

“It looked like he was 20 lengths clear and he was still a long way in front with two furlongs to run when Robert Havlin went into the middle of the track to let the others through, but they weren’t there.

“If he hadn’t done that he may have been second, but the winner was very impressive. He looks a very nice horse, he quickened so well from what was a slow pace for the rest.”

He went on: “It was just like what happened at Goodwood really, when the pacemaker won the Sussex Stakes. I was talking to John before the race and I said I wouldn’t mind the same result and we nearly got it.

“Everybody was happy in the end – John, myself and Godolphin. It’s just a shame for such a big race it did not attract more runners, that leads to pacemakers. With more runners you wouldn’t need them.

“A good pacemaker is one who if you let him go he is good enough to win it, it happened at Goodwood and nearly happened at York.”

Sajir team plot familiar route for Deauville winner

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Replicating his father in the Prix de la Foret and a tantalising Breeders’ Cup tilt are the likely targets for Sajir this autumn following his Prix Maurice de Gheest heroics.

Andre Fabre’s four-year-old excelled at Deauville when claiming the feature Group One sprint in the hands of Oisin Murphy, lowering the colours of both defending champion and Royal Ascot scorer Lazzat and Prix Jean Prat winner Woodshauna who filled the places.

It was a performance which delighted connections and vindicated their belief in the son of Make Believe as he flew home in blistering fashion, also providing compensation for being withdrawn before the start of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes that Lazzat subsequently won at Ascot back in June.

“He looked magnificent on Sunday and these victories don’t happen often so you try to enjoy them more knowing they are not a regular thing,” said Ted Voute, racing adviser to owner Prince Faisal.

“I rang Andre (on Monday) and the horse had just arrived back from Deauville to Chantilly and was sound. Obviously with the ground as rattling as it was, we were holding our breath a little, but he was sound as a pound.

“He beat the form horses in second and third who had both won Group Ones themselves, so it franks everything and was won in the second fastest time ever in that race and the fastest time from a colt in that race – it writes quite a nice stallion advertisement.”

Make Believe won the seven-furlong Prix de la Foret for Fabre in 2015 and Sajir will take a direct route to ParisLongchamp on Arc day in a bid to emulate that achievement.

Sajir winning at Newmarket earlier this season
Sajir winning at Newmarket earlier this season (Mike Egerton/PA)

That outing could well be followed by a trip to America for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, with the master trainer also tempted to test the colt’s stamina at Del Mar in November.

Voute added: “He’s in the Foret and Andre said directly after the race we will follow his father’s footsteps. He runs best fresh, so I could see us going straight there.

“Andre also said though that there is something about him that makes him feel the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar wouldn’t be a bad idea, so we might put him in the mix there and see how we get on.

“It’s Andre’s idea and he’s a master of these sort of things and he just felt the layout of the course might play to his strengths a little bit.

“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before we get there, but it’s not a bad target!”

Sajir shines for Murphy and Fabre in Prix Maurice de Gheest

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Sajir excelled at Deauville to give master trainer Andre Fabre a first success in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

A winner of the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the season, the mount of Oisin Murphy was somewhat unfancied with Jerome Reynier’s Royal Ascot hero Lazzat a heavy favourite to defend the crown he wore 12 months ago.

James Doyle had attempted to keep things simple by sending his mount forward, but a furlong from home the challengers were gathering on either side with the eye drawn to Murphy aboard Sajir.

Lazzat could soon give no more and it was left to Sajir to surge to glory, with the defending champion an honourable second and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Prix Jean Prat winner Woodshauna a fast-finishing third.

Fabre said: “This is the first time I’ve had him 100 per cent, he was in great condition.

“Prince Faisal is a great breeder, a great owner and a great person.”

The son of Prince Faisal’s Make Believe now looks set for an appearance at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend, with Fabre adding: “Obviously, like his father, the Prix de la Foret will be his path.”

Oisin Murphy tasted Group One glory at Deauville
Oisin Murphy tasted Group One glory at Deauville (PA)

It was Murphy’s third Group One win of the year after Lead Artist’s Lockinge win and striking aboard Tornado Alert in Germany recently.

He was delighted to make a successful visit to the Normandy coast to reclaim the mount on Sajir and said: “He was brilliant today. Andre had him spot on and he travelled beautifully for me.

“He relaxed very well. I was a little bit behind but I tried not to get there too soon.

“I think the horse improved 7lb on any form he’d shown before and he delivered.

“Today he switched his leads and powered to the line. The way he bends his knee he feels like a horse that will handle juice. I’m so happy for Prince Faisal.”

Meanwhile, Reynier has his sights on an Ascot return for Lazzat having felt conditions may have been too quick for his star four-year-old.

Lazzat could return to Ascot
Lazzat could return to Ascot (David Davies/PA)

He said: “James Doyle felt he couldn’t get the horse to relax. We’ll check the tracking data, but he felt the horse was doing too much and using too much energy.

“He had a flat spot – something that rarely happens – but still picked up again to fight and take second.

“He would be more comfortable on slightly softer ground and today it was still a bit firm. Autumn is coming and for him, the target will be the Champions Sprint at Ascot, as we know he likes easier going.

“It’s a shame to lose the crown, but we were beaten fair and square. Sajir is a very good horse and now it’s up to him to confirm.

“Initially, we were thinking of running the Prix de la Foret and then the Champions Sprint Stakes, but James Doyle feels we shouldn’t stretch him too much, or he might be even more outpaced than today.”

Graffard could also look to visit Britain with Woodshauna, with Haydock a possibility for the colt who sports the colours of John Stewart’s Resolute Racing operation.

Graffard said: “Woodshauna produced a terrific turn of foot — he really ran very well. He has a lot of speed, and Christophe (Soumillon) thinks this is as far as he stays.

“Woodshauna is entered in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. That’s an option. I’ll discuss it with the owner and Christophe, who knows him well now.”

Sosie carrying French hopes of total Eclipse at the weekend

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French ace Sosie is primed to continue his flying start to the season when he travels to Britain for the first time in a star-studded Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

The four-year-old has won six of his nine starts for Andre Fabre, breaking his Group One duck in the Grand Prix de Paris last season before signing off with a fourth-placed finish in the Arc.

The Sea The Stars colt appears to have taken his game to another level since returning to action this spring, successfully dropping back in trip to land both the Prix Ganay and the Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp, and connections expect a stiff mile and a quarter at Sandown to suit him ideally.

Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for owners the Wertheimer brothers, said: “I think he’s a very good horse, he’s won three Group Ones and we’re very excited to travel him to England for such a big race.

“The fact he has now won Group Ones over nine furlongs and 10 furlongs changed a lot of things, of course. I don’t know how the ground (at Sandown) is going to be at the moment, but he will be happy with good ground.”

Sosie is second-favourite for the Eclipse behind John and Thady Gosden’s Ombudsman, who is set to turn out less than three weeks after his brilliant display in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Aidan O’Brien’s French Derby winner Camille Pissarro and the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat are other contenders for what looks a particularly strong renewal, but having seen Vadeni become the first French-trained winner of the race since 1960 three years ago, Sosie’s camp are relishing the challenge.

“I think it’s a very good test and it’s a very strong field,” Bureau added.

“It will be interesting to see the three-year-olds and it comes quite quickly for the horses after Royal Ascot, but our horse is doing very well and hopefully he can be competitive.”

It is 10 years since the famous Wertheimer silks were last carried into the Group One winner’s enclosure in Britain, with Solow winning the Queen Anne, the Sussex Stakes and the QEII during a fantastic 2015 campaign.

Bureau said: “We don’t come that often, but we like to come with horses that have strong chances.

“It’s going to be very exciting, hopefully Sosie can continue the very nice start he has made this year.”

Fabre relishing ‘proper competition’ for Sosie in the Eclipse

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Andre Fabre is looking forward to bringing Sosie to England for what should be a thrilling clash of the generations in the Coral-Eclipse.

The Sandown highlight is traditionally the first time the Classic generation meet with their elders and this year is no different.

Currently the favourite is John and Thady Gosden’s hugely impressive Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Ombudsman, ahead of Sosie, the winner of three Group Ones and fourth in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Representing the Classic form this season is Aidan O’Brien’s Camille Pissarro, winner of the French Derby.

“Sosie is still on target for the Eclipse, I’m very happy with him,” said Fabre.

“He’s shown good form this season and the owners are keen to run him.”

Ombudsman was a very impressive winner at Royal Ascot
Ombudsman was a very impressive winner at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Looking at the likely opposition, Fabre said: “I was very impressed with Ombudsman, he looks a very nice colt and did it well.

“It could be a small field, we’ll see. The Prix du Jockey Club winner could run too and he looks a nice horse.

“It should be a good race, that is what you expect, proper competition.”

Another top-class middle-distance performer who remains in contention for the Eclipse is the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat, winner of last season’s Champion Stakes and best of the rest behind Ombudsman at the Royal meeting last week.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “We were delighted with Anmaat’s run in the Prince of Wales’s, he travelled very well again, came to win his race and was beaten by what looked an outstanding horse to me who quickened better than him.

“I don’t think we have any excuses. You could say he’d prefer easier ground, but that’s not the reason he got beaten – he got beaten because a better horse beat him.

“I spoke to Owen yesterday (Monday) and he said the horse seems in good shape. The Eclipse certainly comes soon enough for a horse we know can handle soft ground better than some, so we don’t want to put him through the mill right through the summer in every top Group One and find we don’t have a horse left in the autumn.

“We’ll monitor him and the ground and the race. The early signs are good that he’s come out of it OK, but he is a seven-year-old and we’ve got to do the right thing by him.

“You’ve got the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion and obviously the Champion Stakes again later in the year, so we’ll look at all of them. He’s a star and the only top horse we’ve got at the moment, so we’ve got to look after him a bit.”