Two high-class stayers who have shown their best form on much softer ground than they are set to encounter here might sound like a recipe for an upset, but there is very little in the recent form of the rivals ranged against Trueshan and Emily Dickinson to suggest this will be anything other than a straight duel in the Sept. 30 Prix du Cadran (G1).
Alan King has been careful to avoid running Trueshan on fast summer ground throughout his career and, although conditions have quickened up as the week has progressed at Longchamp, there looks like being enough of an autumn cushion to allow the 2021 Cadran winner to give his best in the 2 1/2-mile contest.
After King had worried that Trueshan might have been losing a bit of desire at the beginning of the season, the 7-year-old came roaring back with a hard-fought win in the Doncaster Cup Stakes (G2).
David Hill, co-owner of Trueshan, said: “The big thing at Doncaster was that he raced with enthusiasm and finished off his race so well. Trueshan has always enjoyed every yard he goes past two miles and so the Cadran is a race we’re really looking forward to. Genuine good ground is no problem to him. Firm going is all we would want to avoid.”
Aidan O’Brien won his first Cadran last year when the remarkable Kyprios slammed his rivals by 20 lengths despite running right across the vast expanses of Longchamp to the shelter of the stands’ rail.
Emily Dickinson wins the Curragh Cup at the Curragh
The O’Brien-trained Emily Dickinson has also shown a marked preference for cut in the ground but that did not prevent this blue-blooded daughter of Dubawi and Irish Oaks (G1) winner Chicquita from putting in a huge run to be fourth in the Gold Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot on good to firm.
With fewer miles in her legs than Trueshan, Emily Dickinson is still relatively unexposed at staying trips and looks one of Frankie Dettori’s best chances of signing off from his love affair with Longchamp on a winning note.
“If the ground had come up soft or heavy at Longchamp, we would have had a strong think about going for the Arc,” said O’Brien. “She has good form on good ground, but she’s better with ease in the ground.
“On this ground, she’ll be more comfortable over the Cadran trip rather than the Arc.”
Competitive Field Lines Up for Prix de Royallieu
The promotion of the Prix de Royallieu to group 1 status in 2019—when it was also lengthened by a quarter of a mile—has certainly caught the attention of British-based trainers, with the names Gosden (twice), Menuisier, and Haggas filling the honors board since.
William Haggas and the Tsui family took the victory 12 months ago with Sea La Rosa and the same combination will have high hopes of repeating the feat with Sea Silk Road , who arguably put up a career-best when third in the Prix Vermeille (G1) here three weeks ago.
Sea Silk Road has a length and three-quarters to find with runner-up Melo Melo from that race, while Rue Boissonade was only a short neck behind in fourth.
Before that Melo Melo held off stablemate Baiykara on much softer ground in the Prix de Pomone (G2) at Deauville, with a slightly unlucky Ottery third, while La Mehana and Alpenblume were further back.
“Melo Melo is in great form and has come out of the Vermeille in good shape,” trainer Francis Graffard said of his two runners. “The distance won’t be an issue to her and this is an interesting spot for her. Baiykara missed the Vermeille on account of fast ground and I wanted to keep her fresh for this. She’s very well and has every right to run well too.”
The fly in the ointment of the French form could be the Dermot Weld-trained Shamida , who has looked a group 1 filly in the making on quick ground at around this trip and gets her conditions.
