Scotia update on great horses.

If the great man said it, then it must be true.

Full report from Racing Post

Sea The Stars 'a good thing' for Arc - Piggott


RIDING legend Lester Piggott on Saturday added his voice to the mountains of praise heaped on Sea The Stars, claiming the five-time Group 1 winner is 'a good thing' for next Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Piggott, who won the Arc three times, fully understands the colt being compared with some of the great horses he rode in his hugely successful career, including Triple Crown winner Nijinsky.


"You have to compare Sea The Stars with the best we have seen, because the way he has run this year has been fantastic," said Piggott, who was speaking at the reopening of the Millstone Pub, near Haydock.

"He is a stand-out this year. He is such an easy-going horse, he has a wonderful temperament, and that is what has helped him along the way."

Piggott added: "I think the only thing that can beat him is if it comes up soft - and he probably wouldn't run anyway then. I think he is a good thing and the betting shows that."

Goldikova flies through Prix de la Foret gallop


GOLDIKOVA came through a gallop at Chantilly on Friday morning with flying colours - six days before the six-time Group 1 winner's reappearance in Saturday's Total Prix de la Foret.

"She went with Olivier Peslier at Les Aigles over seven furlongs with one lead horse and I was very happy with the way she worked," said trainer Freddie Head, whose star filly landed her third Group 1 of this campaign alone in the Prix Du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois at Deauville last time out.

That race, like all nine that Goldikova has won, was over 1m, but Head appears confident a drop to 7f for the very first time will not hinder the daughter of Anabaa.

"It will be the first time she runs over seven," added Head, "but the filly has plenty of speed and I feel she has kept her form since Deauville."

Goldikova was withdrawn from the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket this Saturday at Monday's confirmation stage.

Sea The Stars odds-on


THE last of the evens about Sea The Stars for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday has disappeared as Corals caved in and went 4-5.

Just as the ground continues to firm up under the Parisian sun, John Oxx's colt hardens with bookmakers as punters draw confidence from likely favourable conditions.

Ladbrokes are already 8-11 and others are beginning to sway that way with Boylesports going 5-6 from 10-11 after starting the day at evens. Paddy Power are 8-11 from 10-11 and Hills go 4-5 from 5-6.

The other market move was for another Irish runner but in the Totesport Cambridgeshire as the gamble on the Tony Martin-trained Salute Him shows no sign of drying up.

Martin, whose gambled-on Arc Bleu was foiled by 50-1 chance Caracciola in the race last year, is making bookmakers wobble again as Ladbrokes, 20-1 a week ago, cut him to 12-1 from 14-1. Hills were more drastic in going 11-1 from 16-1.

David Williams, of Ladbrokes, said: "We've had to grit our teeth and salute Tony Martin plenty of times down the years but if Salute Him wins on Saturday we'll just be gritting our teeth as he is the hot horse in the race."

Punters can't stop backing Stars for Arc

SEA THE STARS could encounter a huge field in Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but that prospect is not deterring punters from backingthe red-hot favourite, who was trimmed once again by bookmakers on Tuesday.

A potential maximum 20-runner line-up could contest the Longchamp championship, for which the five-time Group 1 winner is 4-6 from 5-6 with Boylesports, 4-6 from 4-5 with William Hill and 8-11 from 4-5 with Stan James and Victor Chandler.

While Sea The Stars was the only major mover in the Arc, a number of horses came in for support in the Totesport Cambridgeshire market, two of whose co-favourites, Sirvino (10-1 from 12-1 with Victor Chandler) and Salute Him (10-1 from 12-1 with Boylesports) were backed. Among others supported were Kieren Fallon's mount Swop, into 12-1 from 16-1 with William Hill.

Newmarket's other Saturday highlight, the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes, has an ever stronger market leader in Ghanaati, now 11-8 from 15-8 with William Hill, while rival Strawberrydaiquiri is 7-2 from 4-1 with Paddy Power.

Looking further ahead, Rip Van Winkle is 9-4 from 11-4 for the Breeders' Cup Classic with Paddy Power.

Been a long,long season for Sea the Stars and the Arc can be a rough,rough race,won`t be punting Sea The Stars will just be hoping he wins!!!


Fallon says:

"Watching the TV and reading the papers you would think Sea The Stars only has to turn up to win, but I don't see it that way."

Fallon uses the Arc defeats suffered by the likes of Generous, Troy and Reference Point to illustrate his point. They all went to Europe's biggest race as hot favourites and flopped.

On the other hand though, the Irishman says another Oxx inmate - 2000 Derby winner Sinndar - had the perfect build-up.

Fallon explained: "His preparation had been entirely different to this year's champion. The point is, Sea The Stars hasn't missed a dance this season and this is usually won by a horse trained specifically for it.

"I'm not saying Sea The Stars can't win, but he is not the good thing the media and bookies believe."

Fallon will partner Mick Channon's Youmzain - twice an Arc runner-up - on Sunday and is sweet on his chances.

"I think Youmzain is at his absolute peak and, with blinkers on, I will be very disappointed if he isn't at least in the first three."

If that assessment isn't bullish enough, Fallon can even see his mount finally winning the big one.

He said: "If Youmzain gets a gap at the right time, I can see us skipping clear and Mick Channon's star losing his bridesmaid's tag in style."

Sariska will not be supplemented for Arc

SARISKA will not be supplemented for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Thursday morning and will head for the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on October 17 instead.

The dual Oaks winner had been delighting connections in her preparation for Sunday's Group 1 contest, and they had been willing to pay €100,000 to run her in the race, but the prospect of fast ground has ruled her out.


Trainer Michael Bell, who spoke to owner Lady Bamford on Wednesday evening, said: "Sariska is not going to be supplemented for the Arc. It has got to start raining some time and the Champion Stakes is very much on the agenda.



"It is very disappointing, the owner was really looking forward to running but, looking at the weather forecast today, it is very much in the favour of horses who want fast ground.

"The filly is in fantastic form and, given that it normally rains during the yearling sales in Newmarket, she will go for the Champion Stakes."


Meanwhile, owner Martin Schwartz confirmed Stacelita on course to be supplemented for the Longchamp showpiece on Thursday morning.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, whose Elusive Wave - also owned by Schwartz - misses Saturday's Total Prix de la Foret due to illness, completed her final workout on Tuesday before being transferred from Roget's Deauville base to Chantilly.

Schwartz said on Wednesday: "As far as I know everything has gone according to plan with the filly and we are still going to supplement her tomorrow morning. I spoke to Jean-Claude today and he is very happy with her. She was moved from Deauville to Chantilly after her workout on Tuesday."

Winner of all her six starts to date, Stacelita is around 12-1 for the Arc in which she will be ridden byChristophe Lemaire.

She was promoted to first in the Prix Vermeille last time after the controversial demotion of Dar Re Mi, who beat her by a short neck.

SEA THE STARS heads a field of 20 horses still in the running for Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

As expected Cavalryman and Stacelita have been supplemented for the race with Sariska waiting for theEmirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on October 17.

Apline Rose was the only horse to come out of the Arc on Thursday morning.

Final declarations will take place on Friday at 10am, after which the draw will be made and revealed.

Goldikova down in trip in bid for seventh Group 1

THE brilliant Goldikova faces a new challenge here as she steps down to 7f for the first time in a bid to land a sensational seventh Group 1 race, preparation for a repeat visit to the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November.

Three times a Group 1 winner last term, Goldikova has already doubled her tally this time around with victories in Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, the Prix Rothschild and the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois.



While she trounced the opposition in her two Deauville races, she also played up beforehand, so her trainer called in an outside expert in a bid to persuade her to be a little more tractable at the stalls. She starts on the outside in gate 14.

Four British-trained horses include Balthazaar's Gift (Clive Cox/Adam Kirby), who won the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at this 7f trip and didn't care for the false ground when unplaced in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Border Patrol (Roger Charlton/Kevin Manning) has gone from strength to strength this season, winning all his four races. After two Listed successes, he went to Ireland last time out and picked up the Group 3 Solonoway Stakes at The Curragh.


The veteran Welsh Emperor (Tom Tate/Micky Fenton) was a winner at Haydock last time while Cat Junior (Brian Meehan/Frankie Dettori) was a close second in the Group 2 Park Stakes in September.

Oiseau De Feu (Jean-Claude Rouget/Christophe Leamire) ran on to take fourth place in the Moulin, where she was unsuited by the ground, and Yves de Nicolay has laid out smart filly Soneva (Ioritz Mendizabal).

Brazil's Opera Comica represents Givanildo Duarte and TJ Pereira, the trainer/jockey combination behind Arc contender Hot One.

Clive Cox trainer of Balthazaar's Gift

"We were very excited by his success in the Hungerford Stakes. The ground was slower than ideal last time in France. He has travelledover well and I hope the ground will be suitable, so he can give a positive showing but it is a hot race."

Tom Tate, trainer of Welsh Emperor

"He has been in the money three years running so this will be his fourth try and his swansong. He is probably at the veteran stage but this is his favourite track."

Criquette Head-Maarek, trainer of Dunkerque

"If he takes a place I will be very happy. He has his distance and we have got a good draw but there are some good horses in the race so it won't be easy."

Brian Meehan, trainer of Cat Junior

"He has come back to his best following a break and ran a terrific race at Doncaster last time when just beaten."

Alain de Royer-Dupre, trainer of Varenar

"He likes this particular track and he has already run well on it two times, but there are certainly one or two horses who will be difficult to beat. His outside draw doesn't make things easier but he didn't have a hard race last time."

Matthew Budden, racing manager to Elite Racing Club, owner of Border Patrol

"We are not particularly concerned about the ground although he would probably prefer to get his toe in. It wasn't enough to put Roger off running. It's a big step up again but we will give it our best shot."

Mario Hofer, trainer of Smooth Operator

"He is very well and, while we do not expect to beat Goldikova, we are confident that he will finish in the money. The distance of seven furlongs is ideal."

Freddie Head, trainer of Goldikova

"She will be running over seven furlongs for the first time but she has plenty of speed. Everything has gone well since Deauville and she has kept her form and been working very well. From her number 14 draw we can keep out of all trouble."

Yves de Nicolay, trainer of Soneva

"I have kept her especially for this race as she has a lot of speed and we hope to have good or even faster ground. She is in great form for the autumnand we will try seriously to take first place.

Well another star bites the dusk!

Varenar makes most of Goldikova Foret flop

Report: France, Sunday

Longchamp: Total Prix de la Foret (Group 1 ) 7f, 3yo+

SIX-TIME Group 1 winner Goldikova suffered a shock defeat in the Prix de la Foret as Varenar, ridden by Stephane Pasquier, provided owner the Aga Khan and trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre with a quickfire double at Longchamp.

Goldikova was quickly into stride under Olivier Peslier and joined the leaders, which included Welsh Emperor, in setting a strong early pace that probably proved too much forthe Freddie Head-trained filly, whose next stop could be the defence of her Breeders' Cup Mile crown, for which she was eased to 4-6 (from 1-2) by Victor Chandler.

Varenar, held up by Pasquier, benefited from the fast gallopand stormed home, while Sweet Hearth, also trained by de Royer-Dupre, touched Goldikova off for second.

The winning trainer said: "It was a good pace and he finished really well. He goes through the sales tonight."

Head, who won the Foret five times as a jockey, said of Goldikova's defeat: "I don't really know what happened. They went a good gallop but I saw, coming into the straight, she wasn't herself.

"For the moment, the Breeders' Cup is the plan but it's not definite."

Sensation as Soumillon takes Stacelita Arc ride

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON is to make a sensational return from injury at Longchamp this weekend after being passed fit to take the ride on Stacelita in Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.


Soumillon, who broke his elbow in a dramatic fall at Nancy last month, underwent medical tests in Deauville on Saturday, after which he was told that he can ride at Europe's most prestigious meeting.

As well as riding Stacelita, Soumillon - who arrived at Longchamp carrying a plaster cast - will partner Jean-Claude Rouget-trained stablemate Oiseau De Feu in Saturday's Prix de la Foret. Both horses would have been ridden by Christophe Lemaire had he not been injured on Friday.

Soumillon said: "I went to Deauville with my wife and children overnight and passed my medical, though I had to lose 3kg from midnight in order to be able to ride.

"I will not be riding with painkillers, but we will see how things go today before talking about tomorrow. However, I want to thank Jean-Claude Rouget for giving me the chance to ride such good horses."

Rouget said: "If Soumillon is fine this evening he rides Stacelita."

Soumillon is also expected to partner Prix Marcel Boussac hope Rosanara for the Aga Khan, his soon-to-be ex boss.

What time our time does this meeting start guys..and is their a site in English where we can get the form guides? Anyone know would be appreciated.