Racing: International reputation beckons for Bago

What have the French ever given us? On a positive note have been cuisine and a selection of rather skilful footballers. Less easy to accept seriously down the years have been the travelling Gallic horses and the music of Johnny Hallyday.

It is slightly mysterious why the French equine visitors have such a poor record in Britain, especially in the Derby. It is probably an amalgam of having to journey in the first place, jockeys unused to the foreign courses and jockeys and horses unused to the end-to-end gallop employed on this side of La Manche. Hallyday is easier to explain but harder to excuse.

Excuses are not required for Bago, the champion two-year-old of all Europe last year and a horse which attempts to alter British preconception when he makes his first competitive venture out of France to take part in the International Stakes at York next Tuesday.

It is quite possible that Bago could be a superhorse, better even than anything we have seen in Albion this season, but the suspicion is that only seeing will lead to believing. And, if Bago does win, there are strands whereby we can claim him for our own.

The colt is by Nashwan, who made his name over here and indeed failed on his only foray to France, while he is trained by an Englishman, the rather posh Jonathan Pease, in Chantilly. Pease has already been responsible for the careers of Tikkanen, Spinning World and Act One. This, however, appears to be the one that comes along just the once. "Bago is the best I have trained by some way," Pease says.

The racing record which produced this opinion included four two-year-old victories, culminating with the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in November. That was a contest won 12 months earlier by Dalakhani and, the year before that, by Pease's Act One. "I think he was a better two-year-old than Act One," Pease said. "He has always needed a mile and I hope he will stay further."

This campaign was delayed by a minor infection before Bago reappeared in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly. That too was a cakewalk, but the colt was out of puff for the first time on his most recent outing, when he came from last to first to deny Cacique in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp.

It appeared a rather disappointing performance for those eagerly awaiting the next equine behemoth, but then Cacique made a mockery of a Group race on his next start and his jockey, Gary Stevens, also spoke. "Bago is as good as I have seen in my career," the American said, "and I have seen a few good horses."

But then Bago is bred to be good. If medical experimentation spread to thoroughbreds then the ideal horse that would be produced among the Bunsen burners and frothing flasks would probably be him. Bago's sire is the great Nashwan, who won the 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His dam, Moonlight's Box, does not have quite as impressive a racecourse expression, in fact she does not have one at all. She does, though, possess remarkable chromosomes as a daughter of Nureyev and the Mr Prospector mare Coup De Genie.

With this genetic stew, how far Bago stays remains guesswork. If 12 furlongs is within his range, Doyen is in for an occasion a little more combative than a coronation in the Bois de Boulogne in October. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and ultimately the Breeders' Cup Classic in Texas lie ahead for Pease's horse.

First though there is the small matter of the International on the Knavesmire. We will learn how well Bago travels in comparison with previous compatriots when he comes up against a field likely to include Azamour, Sulamani and, if the ground does not get too soft, Rakti.

* Kieren Fallon yesterday drew level with Frankie Dettori in the race for the jockeys' championship after a 107-1 treble at Sandown. With Dettori drawing a blank at Salisbury, Fallon is back to odds-on at 4-7 with Coral to retain the title. Dettori, who will miss three days of British racing when riding abroad this weekend, has lengthened to 15-8 from 5-4. Seb Sanders, who rode a single winner at Sandown, is now a 6-1 chance.

RICHARD EDMONDSON

Nap: Lost Soldier Three

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