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INTERNATIONAL STAKES PREVIEWS Saturday, Saint-Cloud, France CRITERIUM DE SAINT-CLOUD (FR-G1), €250,000, 2YO, C/F, 1 1/4MT
Trainer Aidan O'Brien has been the Don of this contest since the turn of the century -- with three wins and four seconds -- and he saddles a sturdy team of three for this season's renewal, Europe's final Group 1 contest of the year. DON CARLOS, the choice of stable number one Johnny Murtagh, ran third in his October 17 debut at Cork before breaking through at Leopardstown nine days later. He enjoys a similar profile to 2007 Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner Soldier of Fortune (Ire), who finished second here in 2006 after winning his maiden at the second attempt. Fellow Ballydoyle incumbent MIKHAIL GLINKA lines up off a success in the rescheduled Eyrefield S. at Leopardstown on November 5, where stablemate BANYAN TREE finished fourth. PASSION FOR GOLD, who carries Godolphin's blue silks, followed up an August 28 debut score with a third in the September 27 Beresford S. (Ire-G2) at The Curragh and is expected to progress further off that latest effort. "I was pleased with how Passion for Gold ran in Ireland and I think that he has improved since that race," trainer Saeed bin Suroor said. "He is in good form and he deserves to take his chance in a Group 1 contest. The 10-furlong distance should be no problem and I am looking to see him run well." LAYALI AL ANDALUS finished one place ahead of Passion for Gold in that race, behind subsequent Racing Post Trophy (Eng-G1) winner St Nicholas Abbey (Montjeu [Ire]), and also has the credentials to feature. Godolphin's beige colors will also be on display and are to be carried by the unbeaten SIMON DE MONTFORT. The Andre Fabre trainee took out a one-mile maiden at Chantilly on October 6 and retained his perfect record, going a panel farther, with an impressive three-length score in a Longchamp conditions event last out on October 25. Further international spice is added by the German challenger ZAZOU, who ran fourth in the September 4 Zukunfts-Rennen (Ger-G3) at Baden-Baden and comes here off a valuable sales-race triumph back at the Iffezheim track on October 23. Saturday, Frankfurt, Germany HESSEN-POKAL (GER-G3), €50,000, 3YO/UP, 1 1/4MT
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan QUEEN ELIZABETH II COMMEMORATIVE CUP (JPN-G1), ¥192,700,000, 3YO/UP, F/M, 2200MT
BUENA VISTA, Japan's champion two-year-old filly of 2008, seeks her first international Group 1 victory here. Winner of this year's Oaks Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas) and Yashun Himba (Japanese Oaks), the sophomore was under consideration for the October 4 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) before she disappointed when second in the Sapporo Kinen (Jpn-G2) on August 23. She was second under the line in the October 18 Shuka Sho (Jpn-G1) last out, but was disqualified and placed third for interfering with BROAD STREET, who was promoted to the runner-up spot. Never off the board in eight career starts, Broad Street posted a neck success in the September 20 Rose S. (Jpn-G2). His Highness the Aga Khan's SHALANAYA looks to become the first foreign horse to win this race. She enters this spot off a pair of victories at Longchamp -- the Prix de Liancourt on September 1 and the Prix de l'Opera (Fr-G1) on the Arc undercard.
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