Trainer Freddy Head is concerned that Solow has yet to be tested ahead of his clash with Cirrus Des Aigles in the Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp on Sunday.
Solow was an easy winner of the US$6 million (Dh22m) Dubai Turf in March and beat Irish Champion Stakes winner The Grey Gatsby, who runs on Sunday in the Gold Cup at the Curragh, by more than four lengths.
The win at Meydan Racecourse brought Solow’s aggregate winning margin to almost 17 lengths from his past five victories.
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Cirrus Des Aigles has left some of Europe’s best horses in his wake over the past few seasons.
Some of those high-profile scalps include Solow’s stablemate We Are last time in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp three weeks ago.
That was the first time in eight years that the remarkable mount of Christophe Soumillon had won a race on his seasonal bow.
The signs are there that the evergreen nine year old is as redoubtable as ever.
With Gailo Chop, Pollyana and Sparkling Beam the only other runners in the race it is likely that it will come down to a head-to-head battle between two horses rated alongside dual Arc heroine Treve as the top ranked in Europe, according to ratings organisation Timeform.
“It is going to be a real tough race, a real test against Cirrus,” Head said from his Chantilly base. “He was very impressive last time and at the age of nine it is quite extraordinary.
“It is a re-entry for us. I stopped his training after Dubai for a bit so he will have to be at his best to win.
“Solow has never had a real test. He has won his races really easily.
“He has never been challenged, never here at home either as he is better than any horse in the whole stable.
“It is easy for him every time.”
Cirrus Des Aigles is likely to take the lead early under Soumillon, while Maxime Guyon will have to decide as late as possible when it is best to sneak past Cirrus Des Aigles without getting engaged in a battle of wills.
The bigger picture is that Solow has the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in focus and a tough race against Cirrus Des Aigles could easily dash those hopes.
After that, Head hopes to give his charge a summer break before lucrative autumn targets, such as the Breeders’ Cup or Hong Kong, ahead of a defence of his title in Dubai.
Head won the Ispahan three times as a jockey and has won it twice as a trainer with the brilliant Goldikova.
Solow is a gelding and Head hopes his charge can forge a long career such as his main rival, also a gelding, who had already run seven times at Listed level and won a Group 2 and Group 3 race before Solow was born in 2010.
“I am very happy with him,” Head said. “He has taken his race in Dubai well and seems in good form.
“He’s a Group 1 horse, that’s for sure, and he could be very good.”
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