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| Staff Writer |
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Fabre is eager to win the Gr.1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and looks to have a strong candidate in the shape of Magny Cours.
Although a late addition to the US$12m Dubai World Cup race undercard, Godolphin’s 7YO son of Medaglia d’Oro, proved himself before the night was out finishing runner up behind Mystic Guide and Chuwa Wizard.
He left several greats behind in his wake including, Sleepy Eyes Todd, Thegreatcollection, Saint Anddan and Gifts Of Gold among others.
“Magny Cours has done all his serious work in France and will be doing only quiet canters before the race. Michael Barzalona will be riding him,” said training legend, Andre Fabre about his Medaglia d'Oro gelding making his track debut in Saudi Arabia, contesting the world’s most valuable race later this week.
The Kentucky-bred, mostly French-raced 6YO entire will be lining up in Riyadh before once again attempting the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup later in the season.
“Well, the plan is to head to Dubai. Like he did last year. He is already entered in the Dubai World Cup,” he said.
“Providing he is invited, he will run in the Dubai World Cup. If not, he has another possible race in the same meeting.”
Magny Cours returns to the region from Fabre’s base in Chantilly following a trip to the Middle East where he was third to Lord Glitters in the Bahrain International Trophy at Sakhir in November.
“Magny Cours is owned by Sheikh Mohamed who I been working for many years and who has always sent me a lot of good horses,” said the top handler.
Fabre has previously won the Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic in 2004, with his charge Polish Summer. He has sent out 19 runners on the Dubai World Cup cards in the event’s 25-year history, including five in the Dubai World Cup itself. His best finisher in the main event was Loup Sauvage, who was third behind Silver Charm in 1998.
Magny Cours, a Group Three winner, has five of his fifteen starts for Fabre. The lightly raced 7YO faces some of the strongest horses in the world, including defending champion Mishriff, Mandaloun - the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby, Midnight Bourbon, Marche Lorraine, T O Keynes in the 2100m feature race of the evening.
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“Unfortunately, I will not be travelling to Saudi for the race this time,” said Fabre.
“I have no concerns about the track or the weather as all reports for both have been very positive,” added the 24-time French champion trainer about his stable star.
“He has a great temperament. He is a very easy horse to train,” said Fabre.
“He is very kind. He will continue to prepare as he did in 2020 and travel to Dubai in Dubai after his prep race
“I think he will travel well. Usually, horses take things much better than we do,” he said.
Fabre campaigned Dansili, one of his many success stories, ambitiously over three seasons between 1998 and 2000, establishing a reputation that more than justified the son of Danehill was sent to Banstead Manor Stud, where he became one of the bedrocks of Khalid Abdullah's breeding operation.
"I have nothing but good memories of Dansili," said Fabre. "He was very good looking, he was nice and genuine with no faults; he was a great horse."
The passionate trainer was France's leading jump jockey, winning more than two hundred and fifty races including the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. When he turned to training horses, Fabre proved even more successful, first with jump horses then with flat racers, winning across Europe and North America, including four Breeders' Cup races.
“Training to me is like breathing, I cannot be without,” he said.