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| Staff Writer |
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Saudi Cup winner Emblem Road will embark on a French campaign this summer as preparation for a potential Breeders’ Cup Classic bid in November, with the Grand Prix de Vichy his first engagement on 20 July.
Emblem Road, a winner of seven of his nine starts on dirt in Saudi Arabia and over $10m in prize money, recently transferred to the stable of French-based trainer, Alessandro Botti in Chantilly.
The 4YO was expected to summer in France before heading to the US for prep races and then on to the Breeders’ Cup and while there his owner, Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, opted to test his Saudi Cup champion on turf.
Connections have decided to step the 4YO up in distance for his first start on turf and go for the Gr.3 Grand Prix de Vichy over 2000m next Wednesday.
Emblem Road worked on the turf course at Chantilly on Monday morning and afterward rider, Olivier Peslier said: “We stayed behind the lead and made him run 400 meters quick. He closed a little bit late, but he was coming in the end. The horse is very well.”
Renato Geiger, manager of the racing and bloodstock interests for Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, said: “After the horse won The Saudi Cup 1800m, we had the thought to go to the Breeders’ Cup. The first plan was a holiday in France, not really to run. We thought we’d give him a break and then head to America for a prep race before the Breeders’ Cup.
“The main difficulty was to make the adjustment from dirt to grass training. At Chantilly there is an uphill woodchip track [1500m] and then once a week he goes on the grass, as they also have a turf track. In the last three weeks he’s come along very well.”
Emblem Road travelled to France with stable companion and Saudi Cup fourth, Making Miracles, and the pair are accompanied by two of Saudi’s top jockeys in Saudi national Meshari Alessa and Alexis Moreno who form part of the team based at the Botti yard this summer.