Frankie Dettori believes only soft ground can stop Sea The Stars in the Arc
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from The Herald (Ireland):
Frankie Dettori believes only soft ground can beat Sea The Stars in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The Italian has been mightily impressed by John Oxx's colt this summer and does not believe there is a horse in Europe who can lower his colours.
However, his participation on the first Sunday in October at Longchamp will be dictated by the ground.
"It really opened my eyes when a horse of that calibre wins the Guineas," said Dettori.
"I didn't think the horse had the pace, so for a stayer like that to win the Guineas he must be a superstar.
"He's got the speed to win over a mile, he stretches to a mile and a half, and he won the best Eclipse we've seen for a while too.
"I'll be honest with you, only the ground can beat him right now, I can't think of any horse that can beat him.
"So well done to John Oxx, Mick Kinane and the owner to produce such a superstar, it's great for racing to have heroes like that.
"In an Arc it is likely to be a big field and he could have some traffic problems but he's got stamina, he's got gears to get him out of trouble.
"I hope that he stays unbeaten (this year) because he's good for racing and it's nice to have a superstar for our sport."
Jim Bolger looks to be leaning towards running Chabal in Saturday's Ladbrokes.com Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh but has not made a firm decision.
It was only last weekend that the colt made his debut in a Leopardstown maiden, but he showed undoubted promise in pulling away from well-regarded members of the John Oxx and Aidan O'Brien stables.
Chabal, who is by Galileo out of a Zafonic mare, is entered in the likes of the Darley Dewhurst Stakes later in the year and is just 14-1 with Ladbrokes for next year's 2000 Guineas, although he is bigger with other firms.
"No decision has been made yet," said Bolger. "He's fine, in good shape and his weight is good."
After the Leopardstown race Bolger had remarked that Chabal was still quite green.
"He is, but the race will have brought him on a lot," he said.
"We will decide later in the week, but he is more likely to run than not."
Bolger said it would be another month before he would have news on 1000 Guineas runner-up Cuis Ghaire, who has been off since finishing second-last in the Irish Guineas.
Christophe Soumillon is facing an indefinite spell on the sidelines after fracturing his elbow in a fall at Nancy on Wednesday.
Soumillon's mount, Burlada, was in the lead when she jinked, causing the Belgian to be unseated.
The injury is thought to have happened when he was kicked by one of the trailing field.
His agent, Edith Dutertre, said: "He is talking to his wife on the phone and everything seems to be all right with his head.
"The only problem is with his elbow. We have been informed that Christophe has an open fracture of his elbow. They are going to operate and we don't really know how long he will be out at the moment."
Frankie Dettori believes only soft ground can beat Sea The Stars in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The Italian has been mightily impressed by John Oxx's colt this summer and does not believe there is a horse in Europe who can lower his colours.
However, his participation on the first Sunday in October at Longchamp will be dictated by the ground.
"It really opened my eyes when a horse of that calibre wins the Guineas," said Dettori.
"I didn't think the horse had the pace, so for a stayer like that to win the Guineas he must be a superstar.
"He's got the speed to win over a mile, he stretches to a mile and a half, and he won the best Eclipse we've seen for a while too.
"I'll be honest with you, only the ground can beat him right now, I can't think of any horse that can beat him.
"So well done to John Oxx, Mick Kinane and the owner to produce such a superstar, it's great for racing to have heroes like that.
"In an Arc it is likely to be a big field and he could have some traffic problems but he's got stamina, he's got gears to get him out of trouble.
"I hope that he stays unbeaten (this year) because he's good for racing and it's nice to have a superstar for our sport."
Jim Bolger looks to be leaning towards running Chabal in Saturday's Ladbrokes.com Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh but has not made a firm decision.
It was only last weekend that the colt made his debut in a Leopardstown maiden, but he showed undoubted promise in pulling away from well-regarded members of the John Oxx and Aidan O'Brien stables.
Chabal, who is by Galileo out of a Zafonic mare, is entered in the likes of the Darley Dewhurst Stakes later in the year and is just 14-1 with Ladbrokes for next year's 2000 Guineas, although he is bigger with other firms.
"No decision has been made yet," said Bolger. "He's fine, in good shape and his weight is good."
After the Leopardstown race Bolger had remarked that Chabal was still quite green.
"He is, but the race will have brought him on a lot," he said.
"We will decide later in the week, but he is more likely to run than not."
Bolger said it would be another month before he would have news on 1000 Guineas runner-up Cuis Ghaire, who has been off since finishing second-last in the Irish Guineas.
Christophe Soumillon is facing an indefinite spell on the sidelines after fracturing his elbow in a fall at Nancy on Wednesday.
Soumillon's mount, Burlada, was in the lead when she jinked, causing the Belgian to be unseated.
The injury is thought to have happened when he was kicked by one of the trailing field.
His agent, Edith Dutertre, said: "He is talking to his wife on the phone and everything seems to be all right with his head.
"The only problem is with his elbow. We have been informed that Christophe has an open fracture of his elbow. They are going to operate and we don't really know how long he will be out at the moment."