California Chrome well beaten on return to action
Off the track since June when he failed in his Triple Crown bid in the Belmont, California Chrome (inset) was keen early on and while jockey Victor Espinoza tried to settle him, Bayern stole an early lead which he maintained all the way to the line.
California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman reports the Breeders’ Cup to still be the intended target and Espinoza felt that the race would serve as a good prep for that big-race date.
He told www.bloodhorse.com: “The other riders, they worried about me, they didn’t worry about the one in the front (Bayern), and I knew I was in trouble in the first turn.
“They were like blocking in front of me, and it was hard to catch the other horse. Sometimes the other ones don’t ride to win, they ride to beat horses.
“But, I really didn’t abuse him too much today. I just let him run his race. I didn’t want to override him.
“He had a long time off. This race, it set it up for the next one.”
* Just A Way, Harp Star and Gold Ship, the Japanese contenders for next month’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe who had to make their way to France by road from Amsterdam after the flight taking them from Tokyo to Paris was cancelled, arrived at their base in Chantilly on Sunday morning after a near 35 hour journey.
The trio, who touched down in Amsterdam at 5pm on Saturday before being driven to the Chantilly training grounds where they will put the finishing touches to their Arc preparations, are fairly prominent in the betting for Europe’s richest race with Just A Way leading them at 7-1.
His stunning success in the Dubai Duty Free in March means he is rated the world’s best horse by official handicappers, although the possibility of soft ground and the 1m4f trip are slight concerns for connections.
Japanese 1,000 Guineas winner Harp Star, who is an 8-1 chance with British bookmakers, should have no problems with the distance as she showed when a fast-finishing second in the Japanese Oaks in May.
That form was boosted on Sunday when Nuovo Record, half a length in front of Harp Star in the Yushun Himba, recorded an easy win in a Grade 2 at Hanshin.
The enigmatic Gold Ship — beaten three-quarters of a length by Harp Star on their last outing — is the biggest-priced of the raiders at 16-1 with Boylesports.
