October
JulySo good, but maybe not the best
Last month in his wrap-up of the five-day Royal Ascot carnival, your international reporter John Wathen-Berry intimated that Solow, impressive winner of the Queen Anne Stakes, is the best in Europe.
Facts and figures would suggest that to be a fair point, but I just wonder if this scenario might change on the first Sunday in October, the day of the running of Europe’s finest race — the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.)
This will be the 94th running of this prestigious race. In that time there have been seven horses to win it on more than one occasion.
The last horse to achieve that feat, Treve (2013/14), has an opportunity to do a Makybe Diva in this year’s edition.
She’ll have to defy history, but her two wins this season indicate the five-year-old mare will be in it for a long way.
Should she win, I believe (and I’m proudly biased here) that not only will she claim that title of best racehorse in Europe, but will be known as among Europe’s finest ever. Frankel above her, of course.
Interesting to note that both Solow and Treve are trained by French training royalty — the brother-and-sister combination of Freddy and Christiane “Criquette” Head, respectively.
So when it comes to the best racehorse in Europe, the family really can’t lose, can they?
Newport (Vic)