Yahoo Finance Olivier Peslier targets fifth Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe title - this time on Stradivarius
Olivier Peslier, a four time Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe winning jockey, has a chance of a fifth on Sunday when John Gosden announced that he will take the ride on Stradivarius in the race which, since its inauguration 100 years ago, has become Europe’s all-age middle distance championship.
Peslier, 47, dominated the race in the late 1990s winning it three times in three years on Helissio (1996), Peintre Celebre (1997) and Sagamix (1998). His other winner was Solemia in 2012 and, after Frankie Dettori with six wins, is the next most successful jockey in the history of the race.
“Obviously his knowledge of the course is second to none and we think he is the right fit for the horse,” said Gosden who also fields Enable who is bidding, again, to become the first horse to win the race three times.
However Hughie Morrison is still looking for a jockey for Telecaster, who appears to be the only other likely British runner in this year’s race with Ghaiyyath favoured for the Breeders’ Cup.
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The four-year-old, who announced his potential when winning the Dante last year and was sent off 5-1 for the Derby, has been patiently brought back to that level this season by Morrison.
If the forecast is correct, he could be a player at a big price were the ground to become testing; last time out he won the Grand Prix de Deauville by six and a half lengths under Christophe Soumillon who is unbeaten in two starts on him.
With Aidan O’Brien likely to field at least four runners including the favourite Love (although soft ground would be a problem for her) Morrison likened himself to the Prussian Field Marshall Blucher against Napoleon at Waterloo – hoping to slip on to the battlefield unnoticed.
“We would probably jib if it was fast but that seems unlikely with rain forecast in Paris most days this week, some of it heavy. Christophe said he doesn’t need heavy ground but he clearly goes through it. Anything testing would be a help to him.
“Looking back on last year with the benefit of hindsight he had three quick runs and I don’t think he took in what happened in the Dante. By the Derby he had probably gone the wrong way a bit but you don’t know until you try. After the Eclipse we decided to give him three months holiday and bring him back this year.
“At Haydock first time out they went no gallop, he then bolted up at Longchamp and I don’t think he was quite right at York. But he was back up to a mile and a half for the first time since the Derby at Deauville and made all. He beat the horse which won the race the year before by seven lengths and they rated his win 3lbs inferior.”
Morrison has still not quite given up on British jockeys riding in French Group Ones being treated like footballers and not having to quarantine for seven days on their return.
