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STEVE DENNIS |
Weblog: Desperate measures for desperate times
I'm asking. Please, please run Midday in the Arc
This blog doesn't ask for much. A cold pint of Doom Bar, a packet of pickled onion crisps, just a little peace and quiet.
But I'm asking. Please Khalid Abdullah, please Henry Cecil, supplement Midday for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a race she can win.
With her win in the Prix Vermeille, she is now proven over track and trip. She's in the form ofher life, a mature four-year-old filly on a roll. And I know that the preferred target is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf - so why doesn't she run in both?
There's a month between the races so, even with the hard race she is likely to have in the Arc, she'd have time to recover before trooping off to the US of A to beat what by her normal standards will be a weak field. She's a virtual shoo-in at Churchill Downs, so why not give the Arc a crack on the way?
I'm not talking through my pocket, either. I haven't had a bet - I don't bet.
But given the way the Arc is stacking up as a weakish renewal of the autumn classic, Midday - the undisputed world champion filly on turf - has an outstanding chance.
Behkabad and Planteur are strong rivals, but on form they are virtually the same horse. Fame And Glory doesn't inspire given the way his price has drifted, it will be the training performance of the decade if Workforce can bounce back to form.
Sarafina is prominent in the betting, but Midday has nothing to fear from her on Vermeille form, and Cape Blanco is interesting only in that he surely won't be asked to take on Fame And Glory.
Should F & G not run, then CB would be a very able substitute, although I am not convinced that 1m4f is his best trip (Irish Derby not strong, King George not much of a 'race').
Khalid Abdullah also has Byword as an Arc contender, but his defeat in the Prix Foy suggests that he isn't a serious Arc contender.
Midday is his best chance. If she were confirmed a runner, wouldn't she be a shorter price than Fame And Glory? Where are the flaws in her armour? As long as the ground is not too soft, she can win. She would win.
Yes, the Breeders' Cup is important. But the Arc is the Arc.
Midday may have two more runs in her career, if that. Next season she'll be at stud; now isthe time to grasp the nettle.
Supplement Midday. Make the bold move. The supplementary fee will be taken care of by the winning purse from Churchill Downs. That's a gimme. Longchamp will be tougher, admittedly. But Midday looks equal to the task.
Please. I don't ask for much. Run Midday in the Arc.
Read my column every Sunday in the Racing Post
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