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| Staff Writer |
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The supporters of Facteur Cheval are eagerly hoping for more rainfall at Ascot before his participation in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Qipco British Champions Day.
Jerome Reynier's horse has had a great track record this season, consistently finishing within the top three in all five outings so far this year. Even in the most competitive races at Group One level, the horse has managed to stay at the top, never losing by more than two lengths.
On the other hand, the Facteur Cheval team is excited to take another shot at Paddington after facing some obstacles during their last race. Despite coming in second to Aidan O'Brien's impressive winner in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, the team is determined to come out on top this time around.
“It’s the plan and he could run on any type of surface, but he’s better with some give in the ground and the wetter the better, like when he won the Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor, who own the horse in partnership with Gary Barber.
“We have skipped some other races he could have run in waiting for the race next weekend figuring it would be really wet again.”
If the ground is faster than what Facteur Cheval prefers, his connections will use it as a reference for next year.
Irwin added, “I think at this point we’re looking at it as much, if not more, as a test to see how he handles that (quicker) going at this point of his life, as our goal next year is the Dubai Turf. This will be a good test to see how he handles that type of track.
“That mile up the straight at Ascot is more like a mile and eighth and that’s the distance of the Dubai Turf.
“That’s what we’re looking at and whether we are going to have a big impact on this race now – and unless we get lucky and the ground turns very soft – that is something we’re a bit concerned about obviously.”