Saint-Cloud Racecourse

Bred by Jim Bolger and trained by a Brit who stands comparison in Mark Johnston, Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) had all the right credentials on a special afternoon for Redmondstown Stud and duly made all for G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud glory. Tough and resilient when successful in the seven-furlong G3 Acomb S. at York Aug. 19 before finishing fourth in Newmarket's G2 Royal Lodge S. tackling a mile Sept. 26, the Teme Valley 2 syndicate's €52,000 Goffs Orby bargain relished this step up to 10 furlongs in testing conditions...

A fortnight after Harvey's Lil Goil provided American Pharoah with a first top-level triumph as a sire in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, there was another landmark in his remarkable story as Van Gogh supplied him with a first in that grade in Europe in Saturday's Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. Highly tried by Aidan O'Brien this term, the son of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Imagine (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) had been second in Leopardstown's G3 Tyros S. and G2 Champions Juvenile S. and in the Oct. 10 G3 Autumn...

Gestut Schlenderhan's homebred Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), who spanked his sole rival Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 20 lengths for Jean-Pierre Carvalho in last term's G1 Criterium International, returned from a brief spell on the sideline to resume winning ways in Friday's Listed Prix Matchem at Saint-Cloud. He had hit the board in Deauville's staging of the June 1 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains on seasonal return this year, but finished a lowly 10th of 11 on his return to the Normandy venue in the July 12 G1 Prix Jean...

Stephanie Nigge trainee Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) annexed a Sept. 3 ParisLongchamp newcomers' event going one mile in his only prior start and maintained his prefect tally with a game success tackling the same distance in Friday's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club de Turquie at Saint-Cloud. The 32-5 chance was settled several lengths off the pace at the tail of the five-runner field as Godolphin's Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) established a substantial advantage by halfway. Sent wide off the home turn to plough a lone furrow...

The catalogue for the Arqana Arc Sale, featuring 23 lots, is now online. Arqana is still accepting entries for the sale, held at Saint-Cloud Racecourse after racing on the eve of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4. In the selective catalogue, one of the standout lots is MGSW Chachnak (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) (lot 21) from Fabrice Vermeulen; while Fabrice Chappet offers lot 14, the G1 French 1000 Guineas third Mageva (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Other 3-year-olds of note are: Measure of Time (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (lot...