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| Staff Writer |
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Facteur Cheval, following his impressive performance at Dubai World Cup night in Meydan, is expected to make his way to Royal Ascot. Jerome Reynier's 5YO has demonstrated remarkable consistency, particularly in mile races, finishing no lower than third in six outings against tough competition last season. He concluded the season with a strong run behind Big Rock at Ascot on British Champions Day.
Having successfully transitioned to the nine-furlong distance for the Dubai Turf, Facteur Cheval shone brightly, clinching victory by a narrow margin under the guidance of jockey Maxime Guyon.
With a potential appearance at Royal Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes on the horizon, Facteur Cheval's connections are eager to explore further international opportunities, especially those involving races around a bend.
"I think the conditions favoured him and he's more of an American type of horse to tell the truth," said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor, who own the horse in partnership with Gary Barber.
"I tink he wants to run on a round track and with a pace to run at.
"He can handle any kind of surface, but I think he prefers a sounder surface and most of those races in Europe he ran in when he was finishing second and third, they were too tactical – especially in France, where they go so slow – and he doesn't have that instant burst of speed.
"I think now we have figured out what he enjoys doing, we're going to figure out a programme around that.
"We will go to Ascot probably and run in the Queen Anne because it's an exciting race and people would like to see it, but after that I think we will focus on international races on a round course."
There are indications that Facteur Cheval might showcase his prowess on dirt later this year, as he has shown impressive performance during his trackwork on that specific surface in the Middle East.
Although there are no fixed plans yet, this could open up possibilities for winning significant prizes in America, including the prestigious Breeders’ Cup held at Del Mar in November.
“Another thing is, he trained great on the dirt over there in Meydan and I think we will try him on that also,” continued Irwin.
“I wouldn’t run him in the Breeders’ Cup Mile because that is two turns and at Del Mar it is too tight a turf course and he’s too big a horse to adapt to that.
“Santa Anita would be a little better but a mile and a quarter on dirt is something we will take a good look at. We haven’t planned anything yet after Ascot, but after that every option is open.”
In addition, Irwin had high praise for the trainer of Facteur Cheval, acknowledging their role in devising the winning strategy for the Dubai Turf.
He added, “I’ve got to give all my credit to my trainer and he figured the whole thing out.
“He took a chance not prepping the horse beforehand and he knew what he had. For a young guy, he is quite the thinker and a very impressive individual.”