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Think's Arc tilt leaves hole in Champions Day

 

Chris McGrath
Friday 16 September 2011 00:00 BST
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So You Think's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, says his participation at Longchamp a fortnight on Sunday is contingent on 'reasonable ground conditions'
So You Think's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, says his participation at Longchamp a fortnight on Sunday is contingent on 'reasonable ground conditions'

Having lost one of their headline acts, the authors of the new Qipco Champions Day must now decide whether to pray for a reprieve – or to absorb a valuable lesson.

They can, after all, still cling to the hope that testing conditions in Paris a fortnight on Sunday might cause So You Think to miss the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and switch to Ascot 13 days later. Aidan O'Brien, his trainer, yesterday made the horse's next target contingent on "reasonable ground conditions". Otherwise, however, its organisers must recognise that the new Ascot meeting – at least as currently scheduled – culpably misplaces the shape and purpose of the elite international calendar.

So You Think would have been hot favourite for the most valuable prize ever offered on the British Turf, but O'Brien's patrons at Coolmore have acknowledged that they are required, quite literally, to seek new frontiers. Their Australian import has already spent most of the season measuring himself against the best in Europe over 10 furlongs, and the reputation he takes into his next career, at stud, would be greatly enhanced by success at Longchamp, over a different trip against different rivals. And that would apply still more obviously to the ultimate challenge, which may yet await, of beating the best American horses at their own game in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

In its previous home, at Newmarket, the Champion Stakes always suffered from the fact that a mid-October slot tended to rule out runners from both the Arc and the Breeders' Cup. Even with an engorged prize fund – and trussed in the most absurdly transparent of new clothes, as the ostensible climax to a "series" – the same problem has followed the race to Ascot. There are potential solutions but for now everyone must be grateful that connections of Frankel have somehow allowed his entire post-July campaign to be shrivelled into the other big race on the card, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

It is conceivable that an excellent meeting at Newbury today may volunteer one new candidate for the vacancy left by So You Think. Dubai Prince, whose achievements last year appeared to identify him as a potential Classic contender, makes his debut for Godolphin, having suffered a hairline fracture of the pelvis in April. Favoured by the conditions of the race, the colt will be ridden by Kieren Fallon as Frankie Dettori rarely wastes down towards 8st 6lb. Fallon, who has been treading water in his championship challenge, will be hoping that Dubai Prince's Champion Stakes entry does not prove in vain.

The Haynes, Hanson and Clark Stakes, 35 minutes later, has a history of producing top-class horses but it is about time it came up with another. Dubai Prince's stablemate, Oscan, is fast-tracked here after a debut success at Leicester last week, but Harvard N Yale may benefit from a rather more temperate grounding. He also impressed in his maiden, and has evidently been working well since.

Turf Account

Chris McGrath's Nap

Mountain Range (6.0 Newbury) Unexposed at the trip, which should play to his strengths. Worth another chance after getting no run on his latest start.

Next Best

Layla's Hero (3.55 Ayr) Listed winner in his youth and proved himself well handicapped with a stylish turn of foot at Newcastle last time.

One to watch

Rosslyn Castle (Roger Charlton) was a solid fourth on debut at Sandown on Wednesday after running green early.

Where the money's going

So You Think is 5-1 from 6-1 (Coral) for the Arc. Son Of The Cat is 20-1 from 25-1 (William Hill) for tomorrow's Ayr Gold Cup.

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