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Byzantine Dream strengthened Japan’s hand for the the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a convincing win in the hands of Oisin Murphy in the Qatar Prix Foy.
Compatriot Alohi Alii has already stated his claims when blitzing the field in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano last month, while Japanese Derby winner Croix Du Nord is also on course for the French capital on October 5.
Second in the Tenno Sho when last seen, the Tomoyasu Sakaguchi-trained four-year-old Byzantine Dream was successfully ridden by Murphy when winning the Red Sea Turf in Saudi Arabia in February, and his proven stamina came to the fore here to finish strongly and edge out Andre Fabre’s Sosie.
Murphy told Sky Sports Racing: “He broke well but the one beside him stumbled and I actually clipped a heel for a stride, but he relaxed immediately and the pace wasn’t super fast and I was able to get on the back of Maxime Guyon (on Sosie).
“He doesn’t do an awful lot in front and in Saudi Arabia he ran around, so I just thought I would hopefully get there hands and heels and if he wasn’t winning today it would set him up perfectly for the big race (Arc).”
He went on: “I wasn’t concerned about dropping back in distance as I think he is a weak stayer over extended distances and has a very good turn of foot. He beat a high-class field today but he does want fast ground.
“He was a lot heavier today and you would notice the crest in his neck is much thicker. He obviously hasn’t run since May and he just did two kind of nice bits of work without anything being difficult in the build-up to this.
“He’s probably quite a light-framed horse who doesn’t need graft and I would hope he could be an even better horse come Arc weekend provided he gets his preferred conditions.”
Sakaguchi said: “The horse was in very good condition. The jockey rode a perfect race. It’s a beautiful victory. He still has room for improvement. He will be at the peak of his condition for the Arc.
“Today was just a prep race, and he still has something in hand. The question will be the ground, but the main goal is to have the horse ready for the Arc, and then we’ll see how the ground turns out on the day.”
Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for Wertheimer and Frère, owners of Sosie, said: “That was a very good return! He hadn’t run since early July, and the idea was to prepare him for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
“We were beaten by the horse we knew the least about, but against the other runners, he clearly showed his quality. If all goes well, we’ll be at the start of the Arc in four weeks’ time. We are satisfied.”
Ed Walker was pleased enough with the run of Almaqam back in third.
“That’s a very good performance, I’m very pleased with Almaqam,” he said.
“All week, I was worried about where to run him. I think we made exactly the right choice in coming here. He definitely stays the trip. We learned a lot today. Almaqam wasn’t beaten by much. I think he will be better on softer ground.
“He’s had a light campaign this year, and today’s race opens up more options for him going forward. Disappointed to be beaten, but very pleased nonetheless, I believe he’s a great horse.
“This is probably the best year to run in the Arc. William (Buick) told me: ‘If you’re going to take your chance, do it this year!’ As an option, we had the Champion Stakes, which will be a red-hot race. But I think he really enjoys the mile-and-a-half. So why not try? If the boss (Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum) agrees to take the chance, then I think we should go for it.”
Cualificar denies Bay City Roller in Niel thriller
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.”
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