Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice-President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, will make a decision this week as to whether Frosted will be put on a course for a second attempt at the Dubai World Cup in March.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin revealed that he might want to run the grey son of Tapit at Meydan after he won the $US1.25million Whitney Stakes on Saturday.
Godolphin CEO John Ferguson is set for face-to-face talks with the founder of the Dubai-based operation in the next few days.
Frosted followed up his imperious victory in the Metropolitan Handicap in June with a front-running performance of total authority under Joel Rosario in the Grade 1 event over 1,800 metres at Saratoga. Although the strength of the form can be questioned with proven Group 1 winners Effinex and Noble Bird running below par in fourth and fifth, the manner of Frosted’s easy two-length victory over Comfort, with Upstart half-a-length in behind, had to be seen to be believed.
The Whitney Stakes is a win-and-you’re-in race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a race at Santa Anita in November for which Frosted is now the generally accepted second favourite behind Dubai World Cup winner California Chrome.
California Chrome beat Frosted by five-and-a-half lengths in the world’s most valuable race at Meydan in March.
It was the second time that McLaughlin had won the Whitney Stakes after Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Invasor landed the spoils in 2006 for him ahead of winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba the following season.
It was a third win at the highest level for Frosted, and McLaughlin sees his current stable star as possibly one day eclipsing Invasor.
“I hope one day I can say he’s the best horse I’ve ever trained,” McLaughlin said. “Frosted is right up there at the top – Invasor was the best we ever had but Frosted is creeping up.
“If he could just go and win the Breeders’ Cup or the Dubai World Cup he would be right there with Invasor or pass him.”
Invasor did not race again following his Whitney triumph until the Breeders’ Cup but such is Frosted’s constitution that McLaughlin wants to keep him going. McLaughlin outlined the Woodward Stakes back at Saratoga on September 3 as a likely target, while the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on October 8 could act as a springboard to the Breeders’ Cup clash with California Chrome in his own state.
Over in France, there was no place for Godophin’s Dutch Connection on the podium following the Group 1 Prix Maurice De Gheest won by French runner Signs Of Blessing at Deauville yesterday.
Dutch Connection was attempting to back up his victory in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood two weeks ago but on drying good-to-soft going, Charlie Hill’s colt, ridden by William Buick, was never competitive.
Signs Of Blessing, trained by Francois Rohaut and ridden by Stephane Pasquier, became the first French winner of the 1,300-metre event since Moonlight Cloud in 2013.
There was a sad postscript to the race as Gold-Fun, the first Hong Kong raider in France, faltered approaching the finish line and had to be put down.
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