Juddmonte purchase Coolmore's entry to set up Chrome rematch

Juddmonte Farms have entered into an agreement to purchase a slot in the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup from Coolmore, with the intention of running Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Arrogate in the $12 million event.

The announcement tees up a rematch between Arrogate and the vanquished California Chrome, with Juddmonte confirming that Arrogate “will continue his preparation with that race in mind."

While the race will be just the seventh time Arrogate, a three-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song, has raced, it will be the 27th and final start of California Chrome’s glittering career. The son of Lucky Pulpit has won 16 of those races and has amassed over $14,500,000 in prize-money.

The five-year-old is then due to join the stallion roster at Taylor Made Farm, where he still stand the 2017 breeding season at a fee of $40,000.

No other details for the transaction were disclosed by Juddmonte other than that "it is for the 2017 Pegasus World Cup Invitational only."

The Pegasus World Cup will be contested over 1m1f, a furlong shorter than the Breeders’ Cup Classic, at Gulfstream Park on January 28, and is unique in that would-be participants had to purchase one of 12 places in the line-up which came with a $1m price tag.

Connections with a spot in the gate can race, lease, contract, share a starter, or sell their place in the starting gate. Original entrants will have the first option to participate in future Pegasus World Cup races.