 |
|
| Staff Writer |
 |
Westover, one of the main contenders for next Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, has had a diverse build-up. He recently went paddleboarding in the sea at Hayling Island, despite having put in impressive performances in the Coronation Cup, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and King George earlier in the summer.
Ralph Beckett and Juddmonte have given the Frankel son ample time to recover, but he has still been able to enjoy several trips away from his base at Kimpton Down in Hampshire. At 8-1 odds, Westover is a strong contender for the Arc.
"He went to Salisbury last Friday and that went well and he went to the beach yesterday, which also went well," said Beckett at Newbury on Saturday. "He's in good fettle and that's the third or fourth time he's been down to the beach at Hayling Island.
"It suits him because he's quite an exuberant horse. It just takes the edge off him while giving him a nice day out."
Last year, Westover came in sixth place in the Arc as a 3YO, but it seems unlikely that the ground at Longchamp next Sunday will be as difficult as it was then. The track received 17mm of rain on Wednesday, making the going very soft according to the penetrometer. However, the forecast for next week is mostly dry, so it's expected that the ground will be good to soft or soft in French terms, and possibly even closer to good or good to soft on the GoingStick.
"The weather doesn't really bother me unless it was going to rain for 48 hours beforehand, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen," said Beckett. "It was fast ground in Dubai and good to soft in the King George and he handles everything in between. We're looking forward to it."In an attempt to secure Group one success at the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes in Newmarket, Beckett is looking to keep the sponsor's money at home 24 hours earlier. Task Force, who remains unbeaten in starts at Salisbury and Ripon, comes from Juddmonte's star sire Frankel and is the son of Special Duty, the mare that won the Cheveley .
Park for the late Khalid Abdullah and trainer Criquette Head, before claiming both the 1,000 Guineas and the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in the stewards' room.
Beckett said of Task Force, "He's in good fettle and I was really pleased with him this morning. His form is working out well."
Meanwhile, trainer Yann Barberot has decided to withdraw Zagrey from the French-trained challenge for the Arc when the first forfeits are registered in Paris on Monday morning. The son of Zarak needs more time to recover from his recent win in the Gr.1 Grosser Preis von Baden.