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French training maestro Andre Fabre has started the new season in unstoppable form and is set to launch a formidable raid on the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket‘s Rowley Mile Racecourse on the first weekend in May.
On Monday, Fabre revealed that, after his brilliant victory in the Group 3 Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte, Al Wukair is set to put his unbeaten record on the line in the Group 1 £500,000 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile on Saturday, 6th May.
And today, following the unveiling of the initial entries for a pair of Group 2 events - the £100,000 Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes over a mile and a half on Saturday, 6th May and the £90,000 Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes over a mile and one furlong on Sunday, 7th May - he reported that both Cloth Of Stars and Usherette are also QIPCO Guineas Festival candidates.
Fabre has been carrying all before him in France so far this season, winning no less than six of the first eight Pattern Races of the new campaign. One of those victories came in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt at Chantilly on Sunday thanks to Cloth Of Stars, who in the process clocked a French record time of 1m 58.77s for the 2000 metre distances.
Cloth Of Stars is one of 29 top quality entries for the Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes. Irish Champion Trainer Aidan O’Brien has three engaged and has suggested that this could be the next target for his Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic runner-up, Seventh Heaven, while a strong potential foreign challenge could also include The Grey Gatsby, having his first run for new trainer Dermot Weld, and Alain de Royer-Dupre’s dual Group 2 scorer, One Foot In Heaven.
The home team features numerous high class performers such as Her Majesty The Queen’s Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes hero, Dartmouth; Hawkbill, winner of last year’s Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes; and Hugo Palmer’s unbeaten Sea The Stars colt, Crimean Tatar.
Usherette ran out a ready winner of last year’s Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes and followed up at Royal Ascot, but her season came to a premature end in July when she burst a blood vessel during the Group 1 Tattersalls 250th Year Falmouth Stakes and she has not raced since.
She has 16 possible opponents including last October’s Group 1 Prix de l’Opera third, So Mi Dar; Smart Call, a three-time Group 1 scorer in her native South Africa now trained by Sir Michael Stoute; and Mick Channon’s pair of Opal Tiara and Czabo, both already successful in Pattern company this term.
Andre Fabre, trainer of Cloth Of Stars and Usherette, said:
“I was delighted with Cloth Of Stars’ win on Sunday, especially since he would have been better suited by a longer trip.”
“He is also entered in the 2100 metre Prix Ganay a week before the Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes and I will leave it to his owners [Godolphin] to decide where he goes, although the mile and a half at Newmarket could be ideal for him.”
“He has never run at Newmarket before but I have no worries about the course – every horse should be suited by the course there.”
“Usherette has had a long rest and it is a case of so far so good with her - she looks great, stronger than before, and has been working well. I do not intend to run her before the Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes as I don’t want to rush her – she goes on any ground.”
“Her target for the season is to win a Group 1. If could be more difficult for her this year as in 2016 she was an unknown filly but now everyone has seen exactly what she is capable of.”