Cirrus des Aigles, Dawn Approach aim to recapture glory at Ascot

Cirrus des Aigles, Dawn Approach aim to recapture glory at

Ascot

Having upstaged So You Think in 2011 and picked

off all bar Frankel 12 months ago, Jean-Claude-Alain Dupouy's Cirrus des Aigles

returns to Ascot's new banner afternoon for perhaps his easiest task so far in

the Group 1 Champion Stakes Saturday.

In his pomp when annexing the inaugural reinvented race two years ago, the eagle

of Chantilly returned to that peak to take the world's greatest off the bridle

for a few strides in 2012 and seems to be back to near his best in what has been

a master class of patience and preparation by trainer Corine Barande-Barbe.

A

daughter of a pair of psychoanalysts, the conditioner has needed to play some

mind games with her increasingly cute veteran stable star this term, but a

diversion to a straight track for the September 20 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte

triggered an awakening of his potent prowess which was again in evidence in

Longchamp's Prix Dollar a fortnight ago.

"All year I wanted him to be at the

top for the Champion Stakes and I believe he is," Barande-Barbe told PA Sport. "We

know he likes Ascot and he has the soft ground, so all the lights are green. He

is the favorite for the race, which is normal, but the race is not over until

it has been run and you have to give consideration to the opposition."

Godolphin's Farhh tries this trip again, having come up slightly short

against Nathaniel when runner-up in last year's Eclipse at Sandown and in the Juddmonte International at

York. During a nine-race career punctuated by setbacks, the highly

consistent and reliable performer has yet to encounter soft ground, and that

could prove a decisive factor as he bids to topple Cirrus des Aigles. Returning

from another injury-imposed break since his romp in Newbury's Lockinge May

18, the Saeed bin Suroor trainee is joined by stable companion and March 9 Maktoum

Challenge Round 3 winner Hunter's Light.

"(Farhh) is doing well," their conditioner said. "He has run well over this trip three

times in Group 1s and is a happy and sound horse at the moment. I think that the

cut in the ground will suit him. We will let him take his chance and see what

happens.

"Hunter's Light is a tough horse. He is very good condition, and we

wanted to let him take his chance in this race. We are putting a hood and a

visor on him to try and make him focus more. This is the right distance for him,

and he has won in testing ground before."

In a renewal with significant French flavor, Andre Fabre sends across an

intriguing contender in Team Valor's Triple Threat, and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget is represented by

Daniel-Yves Treves's Morandi. The former has

looked potentially high-class in two wins this term in the April 7 Prix la

Force at Longchamp and in Maisons-Laffitte's Prix Eugene Adam July 2, but

lacked the stamina required for the 12-furlong Prix Niel when last seen back

at Longchamp September 15. Morandi has yet to win this term, but has shown smart

form when twice runner-up to Triple Threat's esteemed stable companion Intello in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly June 2 and in

the Prix du Prince d'Orange at Longchamp September 21. He only started to come

into himself at this time last year when winning the Prix de Conde at

Longchamp and Criterium de Saint-Cloud by a combined 19 lengths on testing

ground.

Further representation of a largely below-par crop of three-year-olds comes in the form of Ruler of the World and Hillstar, who have yet to meet, but who have both

been partnered in their finest hours by Ryan Moore. It is significant that that

jockey has opted to partner Ballydoyle's Epsom Derby winner, even if he has

looked an out-and-out stayer on his last two starts when second in the Prix Niel

and seventh in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 13 days ago. Hillstar also

appears to want more distance than this 10 furlongs on the evidence of his win

in the King Edward VII over 1 1/2 miles at the Royal meeting June 21 and third in

the July 27 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, both at this track, so any

further easing of the ground can only help.

Dawn Approach is back at Ascot

Saturday for what could prove his greatest test in a renewal of the Group 1 Queen

Elizabeth II Stakes set to be determined largely by the testing ground. Proven in

conditions with some ease, Godolphin's four-time Group 1-winning miler has yet

to run on this type of surface which is in stark contrast to the livelier turf

that was prevalent when taking the St James's Palace at the Royal meeting June 18. He exits a no-excuses

second to Toronado in the Sussex at Goodwood July 31 and a fifth as the favorite

when under the weather in Deauville's

Prix Jacques le Marois August 11. To some degree, Dawn Approach has

his previously lofty reputation to restore.

"The ground is what it is, we'll

just have to take it as it is," Jim Bolger told PA Sport. "The softest he's run

on is at Goodwood, and he didn't run up to his best that day, but I put that

more down to the track than the ground. Everyone knows he wasn't right in France

and now we move on. He's been in very good form since then and I'm looking

forward to seeing him run again."

In a race which has been largely dominated by

three-year-olds since its upgrade to it current status in 1987, Sheikh Joaan bin

Hamad al Thani's Olympic Glory adds further ballast to

that generation's cause. Uneasy on Longchamp's turning circuit when flopping in

the May 12 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Moulin on his last

outing September 15, he showed in the meantime what a force he is on a straight

track when a short-head runner-up to Moonlight Cloud in the Jacques le Marois in which Dawn Approach ran so flat. With

blinkers on for the first time and an ultra-confident Richard Hughes back in the

saddle, he could be about to hit a peak.

"Olympic Glory is a big bull of a horse

who seems better in the second half of the season and, while more rain might be

a worry for some of the other principals, it would not bother our fellow who has

shown he can act in the mud," trainer Richard Hannon explained." He did not enjoy

the hill or the turns at Longchamp last time, but this straight mile will suit

him, and the blinkers do seem to have made a difference. He needs a few wake-up

calls to get him focused, and the headgear might just do the trick, but we know

we need a career-best performance if he is to pull it off."

Having beaten

Olympic Glory by five lengths in the Moulin, the Niarchos Family's Maxios has every right to be in this line-up, but

that performance may have owed as much to a combination of Stephane Pasquier's

aggressive tactics and the homebred's love of Longchamp than to his superiority

over the runner-up. Another fascinating international contender is Sheikh Hamdan

bin Rashid al Maktoum's March 30 Godolphin Mile and September 27 Joel Stakes

winner Soft Falling Rain, but it is hard to escape his connections' pessimism

regarding his prospects of handling this ground.

Newly promoted to Group 1 level, the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes

has been rewarded with the presence of an Oaks winner in Talent, and she will

take a fair amount of beating as she tackles her elders for the first time. So

impressive in the Epsom classic, the homebred put a disappointing effort on fast

ground in the Irish Oaks firmly behind her last time when runner-up in the St

Leger over an extended 14-furlong trip at Doncaster September 14.

Third at Epsom, The Lark is one who could feature prominently here following

an authoritative score in the Park Hill Stakes over the Leger trip at Doncaster,

with the prevailing ground conditions set to make this more of a stamina test.

One who would not want an extreme examination of staying power is Hot Snap,

who looked a world beater on her seasonal bow when annexing the seven-furlong

Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket. Subsequently disappointing when unplaced in the

One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket and when a labored second as the favorite for

the Blandford Stakes over 10 furlongs at The Curragh, the Juddmonte homebred did

manage a creditable third placing in the interim in the Nassau Stakes at the

Glorious Goodwood meeting.

Heading the older division is Dalkala, who comes here on the back of a

career-best success in the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp.

This time last year, Maarek signaled his arrival on the major stage with

success in the Group 2 British Champions Sprint, and he could hardly be in

better order as he returns for his repeat bid Saturday. Following a revival of

form in Newbury's World Trophy September 21 with a game late success in the Prix

de l'Abbaye de Longchamp 13 days ago, the mud lover has conditions in his favor

as he prepares for another day in the limelight.

Bolstering a strong challenge from Ireland is the three-year-old filly

Viztoria, who has shown her best over seven furlongs and reached a peak when

taking Doncaster's Park Stakes over that trip last time. No match for Moonlight

Cloud when subsequently sixth in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Arc day,

she faces easier competition here.

Whereas Irish sprinters of a high caliber have been few and far between in

recent years, the tide is turning now and another to represent that country is

Slade Power. He emerged as a leading player in that sphere this summer when

capturing the Sapphire Stakes and Phoenix Sprint Stakes over five and six

furlongs, respectively, at The Curragh, and was last seen finishing runner-up in

the Haydock Sprint Cup.

Slade Power should fare much better than his eighth placing in this 12 months

ago now that his tendency to miss the break has been rectified.

Not seen since her landmark victory for The Queen in the Gold Cup at the

Royal meeting, Estimate returns to Ascot to bid for a fourth success in as many

visits in the Group 3 British Champions Long Distance Cup. Whether the

four-year-old remains in the type of form that saw her reach that particular

pinnacle remains to be seen, but this venue is her stomping ground, as she

proved when winning the Queen's Vase at last year's Royal gala and the Sagaro

Stakes on her 2013 debut at the start of May.

"She had a nice let-down after the Gold Cup, which was a grueling test over 2

1/2 miles," The Queen's Racing Manager John Warren commented. "Sir Michael (Stoute)

wanted to give her that for an autumn campaign and she's really pleasing him.

Ryan Moore rode her last week and was very impressed at her form for this time

of year, because this is when fillies can just go off a little bit or go over

the top. Being the expert that he is, Sir Michael always wants his horses

performing at 100 percent rather than 85 or 90.

"Her Majesty is very much looking forward to it. It will be hard to repeat

what she did in the Gold Cup again as that was such a wonderful day, but she's

such a genuine filly so if she runs to her best she's going to be in with a

shout again."

One who has benefited from the recent absence of Estimate is Ahzeemah, who

beat Gold Cup runner-up Simenon in York's Lonsdale Cup over an extended two-mile

trip. Runner-up subsequently in the Irish St Leger over 14 furlongs at The

Curragh, he needs no further rain.

"Ahzeemah worked really well earlier this week and is ready to go," Saeed bin

Suroor said. "Two miles is no problem for him and it's a case of so far, so

good. He won on good-to-soft at York, but I wouldn't want to see the ground get

too soft for him."

Representing the sophomore class is Eye of the Storm, who comes into this on

the back of wins in the September 18 Listowel Stakes over 12 furlongs on heavy

ground and The Curragh's Loughbrown Stakes on good-to-firm over two miles 11

days later.

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