Have the French got the balls to do it? After the triumph of Corine Barande-Barbe’s globe-trotting superstar Cirrus des Aigles in Dubai’s Sheema Classic on World Cup Night the debate has resumed: will they open up Europe’s most prestigious race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, to horses like Cirrus des Anges who are geldings — animals with their wedding tackle removed, an operation often performed to improve the temperament of an unruly colt? Should such top races be reserved for horses with a breeding future or should top-class geldings be allowed to take their chance alongside mares and ‘entire’ horses. Since the most exciting older horses are often geldings it must at least be considered. After all, the French did alter the length of their Derby to suit modern breeding fashion and it is probably only a matter of time before some European Court of Rights rules that barring geldings is denying the rights of a minority.
World Cup Night in Dubai this year was a mixture of triumph and tragedy, and it was full of portents for the British Flat season which has just begun. The tragedy was that the richest night’s racing in the world, with unrivalled facilities and no welfare expense spared, still reminded us that it isn’t only horses who jump fences and hurdles who can be fatally injured in races: three of the night’s equine participants lost their lives.
The triumphs came in several forms: young British jockey James Doyle simply stole the Dubai Duty Free, catching a world-class field of jockeys napping by bursting to the front two furlongs out and winning in a course record time. The infant prodigy Mickael Barzalona won the World Cup itself in exuberant style, standing up in the saddle well short of the line as his 20–1 mount Monterosso led home a 1–2 for Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni. But just to remind us that experience counts, too, Kieren Fallon rode his first World Cup Night winner for a few years on Krypton Factor, Frankie Dettori scored two successes on African Story and Opinion Poll, and Olivier Peslier took that Sheema Classic on Cirrus des Aigles.
Mahmood Al Zarooni began training in Britain last year for Godolphin in a separate yard to Sheikh Mohammed’s long-time handler Saeed bin Suroor. The creative tension we can expect now between them could enliven the British season. And if Godolphin is well set with its trainers there is even more of an embarrassment of riches with the jockeys.
Frankie Dettori remains their No. 1 rider but he is now joined in the blue silks not just by Barzalona but also by Silvestre de Sousa, poached from Mark Johnston after his strong bid for the championship last season. Both young men now stand on the brink of fame and riches, although we should remember that a few years back the former camel rider Ahmed Ajtebi was hailed as the next Godolphin superstar after riding two winners on Gold Cup night and hasn’t quite made it yet, although he was riding Capponi, the horse which came second in this year’s World Cup.
Dettori hasn’t said much about the new signings, or about Godolphin’s announcement that he won’t necessarily always be on Sheikh Mohammed’s number one contender if one of the other two riders has established a relationship with a horse or ridden it in a Classic trial, but some interesting debates will ensue. I certainly fancy him to repeat his Dubai success on Opinion Poll in this year’s Ascot Gold Cup and at the moment you can get 14–1 against his chances.
Barzalona is clearly a great talent but he is also a cocky little so-and-so as one of the Coolmore team commented after he won last year’s Epsom Derby standing up in the stirrups and waving his whip aloft. He did the same in Dubai, and although the race victory was much more assured on this occasion the stewards at the Meydan track fined him a paltry £850 for ‘gesticulating well prior to the winning post’.
Some say, ‘What the hell, racing is entertainment and, like Frankie’s flying dismounts, Barzalona’s antics in the saddle add colour.’ But Frankie’s dismounts come after the race is over: if one day Barzalona’s premature bragging unbalances his mount and lets someone else steal a race don’t expect the tweedier British stewards to be so merciful. I can’t imagine Sheikh Mo being too happy if a bit of Barzalona whip-waving earns him a four-day ban around Royal Ascot time.
With de Sousa now having his meetings chosen for him by Godolphin, with current champion Paul Hanagan having taken over as Sheikh Hamdan’s No. 1 rider and with Richard Hughes having been sidelined for a long period by Indian stewards, whose verdict the British authorities have accepted, the jockeys’ championship this year looks a truly open contest. At 46, former champion Kieren Fallon probably has one last chance of reclaiming it and there was no mistaking the power and determination he showed in winning the World Cup sprint for Bahrain owner-trainer Fawzi Nass. With 7–1 available against his chances on Betfair, I am certainly tempted.
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