Cirrus Des Aigles: is the highest rated horse in training with a rating of 131
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Cirrus Des Aigles out to prove he is the best
CIRRUS DES AIGLES, the outright favourite for the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, bids to add yet another big race to his already illustrious list and prove his worth at the top of the racing pyramid.
The highest-rated horse in training was unusually out of sorts last time out at Saint-Cloud where he was beaten into fifth by Novelist, leading some people to believe he was possibly on the decline.
Ascot, SATURDAY, 27 JULY 2013. KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES SPONSORED BY BETFAIR(British Champions Series) (Group 1) (CLASS 1) (3yo+)
- Winner: £603,962, Runners: 8, Distance: 1m4f, Going: Good, Channel: CH4
£1,000,000 guaranteed For 3yo+ Weights 3yo colts and geldings 8st 9lb; fillies 8st 6lb; 4yo+ colts and geldings 9st 7lb; fillies 9st 4lb Southern Hemisphere allowance: 4yo 4lb Weight for age 3 from 4yo+ 12lbEntries 15 pay £ 3500 Confirmed 11 Penalty value 1st £603,961.50 2nd £228,975.00 3rd £114,594.004th £57,084.00 5th £28,648.50 6th £14,377.50
| NO. DRAW FORM |
HORSE | AGE | WGT OR |
JOCKEY TRAINER RTF% |
TS | RPR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1112d12-5 |  |
CIRRUS DES AIGLES
   34 |
7 |
9-7
131
|
137 | 137 | ||
| 2202-31S |  |
EKTIHAAM
 35 |
4 |
9-7
115
|
101 | 128 | ||
| 33241-11 |  |
NOVELLIST
34 |
4 |
9-7
119
|
112 | 128 | ||
| 471-2389 |  |
RED CADEAUX
38 |
7 |
9-7
116
|
91 | 126 | ||
| 54211131 |  |
UNIVERSAL
16 |
4 |
9-7
115
|
111 | 124 | ||
| 651-1113 |  |
VERY NICE NAME
119 |
4 |
9-7
118
|
111 | 126 | ||
| 7841-221 |  |
HILLSTAR
36 |
3 |
8-9
111
|
115 | 123 | ||
| 865-2311 |  |
TRADING LEATHER
28 |
3 |
8-9
118
|
115 | 126 | ||
A race that clearly revolves around CIRRUS DES AIGLES and if he is near his peak he should be in a different league to today´s opposition. Only Frankel has been rated his superior in Europe in the last two seasons and as his record clearly suggests that he invariably needs a run to put him spot on, he is confidently expected to turn Saint-Cloud tables on Novellistwith that run under his belt. The 3yos Trading Leather and Hillstar can prove best of the remainder.
However connections remain bullish about the seven-year-old’s already proven talents and trainer Corine Barande-Barbe claims the horse could be even better this year than last.
“I think he may even be a better horse this year, he certainly seems to have got stronger,” said Barande-Barbe. “He’s a horse still on the upgrade rather than the opposite.
“He came on a lot for the run straight after the race and he has improved again with his work, leaving him exactly where I want him with this objective in mind,” she continued.
“The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud came a bit early as I had given him an easy time while he got over his injury. He was fit enough to run but he wasn’t really ready.”
The gelding’s rise to the top consists of 16 victories from 46 starts, including 11 Group races and three Group 1s, achieving an official rating of 131. That puts him 12lb clear of Novelist, who is his closest rival on ratings.
Chris Stickels, clerk of the course at Ascot, reported on Friday that the course had been drying out and was close to being good to firm.
chris stickels: “still calling it good”
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker
However, the three-day King George meeting started on Friday on good ground and, with rain forecast for Saturday, it appears unlikely that conditions will be quicker for the big race.
“It’s been drying out all afternoon and we are still calling it good, but we are not far from it being good to firm,” Stickels said.
He claimed it would be impossible to predict how much rain would be needed to change the going description to anything slower than good.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty about when the rain could come, but in terms of how much could change the going, you just have to see how it’s riding on the day and how much has ultimately come.”
A crowd of around 28,000, similar to last year, is anticipated, with the Premier enclosure expected to sell out.
fonte: RacingPost
