Off The Bench

Passed over for the G1 Racing Post Trophy in favour of Yucatan (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) bids to regain the limelight for Ballydoyle in a strongly-contested renewal of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud on Sunday. Whether he would have proved any more of a match for Rivet (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) than his stablemate was at Doncaster is open to question, but this 10-furlong trip on soft ground seems more likely to play to his strengths. Successful in the Listed Coolmore Canford Cliffs S. over 7 1/2 furlongs at Tipperary Aug. 5 before beating Yuacatan in the G2 Beresford S. at The Curragh Sept. 25, Derrick Smith's grey is joined by two stable companions including Markus Jooste's 'TDN Rising Star' Douglas Macarthur (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who followed an impressive five-length maiden win over a mile at Leopardstown July 21 with a third in the G3 Champions Juvenile S. over the same course and distance Sept. 10 and fifth in the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket a fortnight later.
Godolphin's two representatives Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and D'Bai (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) hold significant claims, with the former appreciating a step up in trip when winning Newmarket's G3 Autumn S. over a mile Oct. 8 and D'Bai following a third in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster Sept. 10 with a win in the Listed Silver Tankard S. over a mile at Pontefract Oct. 17. Always a significant pointer to this race, the G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly Oct. 8 featured a tight finish between three who re-oppose. Hussain Lootah and Ahmad Al Shaikh's Frankuus (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) had a neck and a short head to spare over OTI Management Pty Ltd's Prinz Hlodowig (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}) and Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in that nine-furlong contest and Charlie Johnston, son and assistant to Frankuus's trainer Mark Johnston, is hopeful of a bold show from the grey. “We think he is a real strong stayer for his age and the mile and a quarter will really play to his strengths,” he explained. “He is versatile regarding ground, but he showed at Haydock that he handles really soft ground so we are hopeful of a big run.” Gestut Ammerland, Newsells Park Stud, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier's 'TDN Rising Star' Waldgeist remains open to vast improvement on pedigree. He previously looked up to this standard on his winning debut at Chantilly Sept. 8 and represents the Andre Fabre stable successful five times.