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Updated: 28th September 2008 - GG.com

October's Crowning Glories

October’s top-class Flat action is in many ways the crowning moment of the turf season, beginning with the first weekend in the month that sees no less than ten group races staged between Newmarket and Longchamp on what will always be known as Arc weekend.

As ever the racing action finds its stride with the opening day of the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket on October 2 when the deeply precocious Wing Walker looks a strong contender for the Somerville Tattersalls Stakes. On day two, October 3, it is the turn of the fillies and colts to assume centre stage for the Cheveley Park and Middle Park Stakes, two group contests for two-year-olds. Rae Guest’s talented filly Serious Attitude looks a good one for the Cheveley Park Stakes.

On Saturday October 4 all eyes will be upon the thirty-runner plus Cambridgeshire field as it hurtles on down the Rowley Mile and while there is no stand-out bet such as last year’s winner Pipedreamer in the race, Luca Cumani holds a strong hand and his five-year-old Swop should go close while Premio Loco, Wasan and Master Of Arts are three more local contenders with huge chances.

On the same Newmarket card Spacious tries to salvage some glory from a disappointing season for her and trainer James Fanshawe in the Sun Chariot Stakes. She may well have needed her race at Doncaster more than was thought last time. At Longchamp on the Saturday, African Rose should be hard to beat in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret while a vastly improved Kasbah Bliss might upset the Coastal Path apple cart in the Prix du Cadran.

October 5, the first Sunday in the month can only mean Paris and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. This year’s renewal has a strong favourite in the super filly Zarkava who has really ignited a damp squib of a Flat season. She looked breathtaking when winning the Vermeille against some decent fillies and with the colts not seeming so strong this year she should crown a fantastic season with a victory in the Arc. Fellow French three-year-old Vision D’Etat looks a main rival but has to improve a good deal while Japanese raider Meisho Samson could run into a place at a big price.

On the same Longchamp card there are five more group one races with Marchand D’Or a likely target for Hungary’s stunning sprinter Overdose in the Prix de l’Abbaye while the clash between the ace Irish pair Lush Lashes and Katiyra in the Prix de l’Opera will be worth savouring, and if Sir Michael Stoute runs Promising Lead then the race becomes even more exciting.

In the Prix Marcel Boussac the ever enterprising Jim Bolger attempts to land this race for a second time with his star filly Maoineach, who bids to emulate the same stable’s Finsceal Beo who took this prize in 2006.

After the thrills and spills of the Arc and Cambridgeshire cards it is a somewhat down beat weekend on October 11 with Ascot’s Cornwallis Stakes, the feature race of the day on a card that also includes the Benbough and Autumn Stakes. In the Cornwallis Stakes there’s a good chance that the William Haggas-trained Triple Aspect will attempt to wrest this good juvenile prize from some fast-paced rivals.

There is high-quality action at Newmarket on October 18 when the group one Champions Stakes occupies pole position on a cracking card. Epsom Derby hero New Approach will bid to climax his career with a victory in this great race but France’s Russian Cross might prove a stumbling block to a sign-off success from the Irish horse.

In the Challenge Stakes Kalahari Gold attempts to crown an audacious run of success by taking a group two prize while in the Dewhurst Stakes all eyes will be upon some of the season’s leading two-year-old colts as they battle things out to establish the juvenile pecking-order at the season’s end.

The Cesarewitch, by contrast, is a deeply demanding test of stamina and has always been a hard race to win for horse with a high weight. This time around the three-year-old challenge is strong courtesy of market leader Askar Tau who may well take a lot of beating while Hits Only Vic shapes up as one of the livelier outsiders.

After the high-points of Champions day the action switches to Doncaster on October 25 for the Racing Post Trophy where Henry Cecil’s Wing Walker might be a leading contender while over at Newbury the Group Three St Simon and Horris Hill Stakes loom large as the feature races. Over at Santa Anita the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting climaxes in the 25th and Goldikova might be just about the best of the European raiders in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare turf race and Raven’s Pass is an ideal sort, granted a good draw, for the Mile.

Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips

Archive September 2008