Scotia on great horses.

Perhaps one of the best performances of all time

A machine in motion.

Stacelita and Elusive Wave set for Longchamp


France: Owner Martin Schwartz in in for an exciting September with his star fillies Stacelita and Elusive Wave due out in the space of a week next month.

Stacelita, second favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is set to run in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on September 13 with Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Elusive Wave pencilled in to reappear in the Prix du Moulin at the same course seven days earlier.

The owner's racing manager Michel Zerolo said: "So far all the news is good for Stacelita and she is being aimed at the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp next month.

"Elusive Wave is also in good shape following her second to Goldikova in the Rothschild and she has now been marked down for the Moulin de Longchamp."

Bell keen on Arc assault for York-bound Sariska

THE Darley Yorkshire Oaks and the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe have been confirmed as the plan for dual Classic heroine Sariska, who is being trained with a history-making success in mind by trainer Michael Bell.

Such is his belief in Lady Bamford's double Oaks heroine, Bell is already eyeing up a Longchamp clash with the likes of Sea The Stars, Fame And Glory, Conduit and Stacelita even before the star three-year-old tackles older horses for the first time in next Thursday's main York attraction.

Bell said on Wednesday: "The Yorkshire Oaks is the next stage for her as she is taking on a Group 1-winning older horse in Dar Re Mi. She has to prove that she can get to the next level."

Confirming that the plan is then to target the Arc, Bell added: "The only note of caution is that no English-trained filly has ever won the Arc, so we are trying to buck a trend, but there have been one or two hard luck stories and, statistically, fillies have done well in the Arc. There's no reason why you can't win with a filly from this side of the channel if you have the right ammunition."

www.racingpost.com/media/media_centre.sd?view=rp&media_id=9150

enjoy

Runaway Marois victory for mighty Goldikova

Report: France, Sunday

Deauville: Prix Jacques Le Marois (Group 1) 1m, 3yo+

THE mighty Goldikova annihilated her rivals to record her sixth Group 1 victory in brilliant fashion in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday.

Sent off 1-2 favourite with British bookmakers, the Freddie Head-trained daughter of Anabaa made those odds look generous as she ran right away from a high-class field to score by about six lengths from under Olivier Peslier.

The William Haggas-trained Aqlaam, a 12-1 shot, was prominent throughout before staying on for second ahead of John Gosden's Virtual, who justified the last-minute decision to run in spite of fast ground to take third.

However, the Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard-sponsored event was really about only one horse as Goldikova destroyed her rivals in arguably the most impressive performance of a glittering career.

Indeed, the Breeders' Cup winner had rather more trouble getting into the stalls than she did after the gates opened, as she was most reluctant to enter and needed blindfolding and plenty of shoving before finally consenting.

She raced in third, travelling sweetly just behind Only Green and Aqlaam, who contested the pace in the early stages.

Although Goldikova hung slightly up the straight mile, she was always swinging along generously under Peslier, who asked her to quicken over two furlongs out, at once putting most of her rivals in trouble.

Goldikova simply lengthened away thereafter in a blistering performance to complete a Group 1 hat-trick this summer after her victories in the Falmouth Stakes and Prix Rothschild.

Frankie Dettori employed new tactics to little effect on Dubai hero Gladiatorus, who was held up in mid-division rather than making the running. But the Godolphin four-year-old was off the bridle over two furlongs out and trailed in last of the nine runners.

Head said: "We are going to give her a break now and I think the Moulin is unlikely. The Breeders' Cup Mile is her aim and she could go for the Prix de la Foret (October 4) before that.

"She's absolutely amazing, all she wants to do is run. She seems to be improving and I think she is better than Miesque."

Just WOW!!!

The horse that finished second was the horse that beat Imbongi at Ascot..

Horses...such beautiful, graceful animals, an absolute joy to watch them in motion..pure beauty...a pity they get used and abused by the greed of man

Plus we are blessed with the current crop, who is the best horse on the planet?
The mind boggles.

Yeats confirmed for Irish StLeger after workout


HISTORY-MAKING stayer Yeats is on course for the Irish Field Irish St Leger after heand stablemate Age Of Aquarius both warmed up for their Classic tasks on September 12 in separate workouts after racing at the Curragh on Sunday.

Yeats, who created history in June when winning the Ascot Gold Cup for the fourth successive time, was ridden by Seamie Heffernan and worked alongside Curragh maiden winner Von Jawlensky.


The Royal Ascot hero was pushed along to come home in front at the end of the 1m1f light workout, after which he had a good blow.

"Seamie was delighted with that and the plan at the moment is for Yeats to go for the Irish Field St Leger on September 12," said O'Brien, who has earmarked the British equivalent on the same day at Doncaster for Age Of Aquarius.

Johnny Murtagh was on board Age Of Aquarius, who travelled ominously well and had Moon Indigo off the bridle a long way out.

"Johnny said he was very happy and the plan with him is to go for the Ladbrokes St Leger," added O'Brien

Goldikova blitz the best by a filly for a decade

WORLD CLASS: An analysis of the best performances of last week according to Racing Post Ratings

TOP OF THE CLASS: Goldikova 130

Trainer: Freddie Head (Fr)

Prix Jacques le Marois, Deauville, 1m, August 16

SHE-FREAK this, America's Sweetheart that. But no sooner had Rachel Alexandra seemingly sewn up the fillies' dirt division than Goldikova produced an even more astonishing performance to establish her superiority among the turf distaffers.

The four-year-old put up the best filly's performance for a decade when blitzing the boys at Deauville on Sunday, where she posted a colossal RPR of 130 for her Jacques le Marois success. To put it into context, Zarkava received a mark of 129 for her Arc victory last season.

It was a big career-best from Freddie Head's filly, but the figure is backed up by both the collateral form and the clock.

The form: she beat Summer Mile winner Aqlaam (119) by six lengths and had the rest of the field, headed by Lockinge winner Virtual (108), a further five lengths away.

The clock: a time of 1m 33.5s is a second quicker than any previous winner of the race - a roll of honour that includes the likes of Dubawi, Dubai Millennium, Spinning World and Miesque.

Such was the level of Goldikova's stunning victory that if we combine the turf and dirt lists, an RPR of 130 puts Goldikova 3lb ahead of Rachel Alexandra, the filly with more nicknames than Rocky Balboa, on the global distaff list.

It also makes her the highest-rated filly or mare since Bosra Sham, who earned the same mark when beating Alhaarth by a whopping eight lengths in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes in 1997.

Goldikova's Jacques le Marois victory was clearly of the very highest order, but her participationlooked in some doubt at one stage due to her hijinks at the stalls. She was kicking out and backing up. She just would not go into the gates.

Maybe she thought it was a pointless exercise? Maybe she took one look at her opponents, knew she would win easily and didn't want to have to prove it.

It would be like Usain Bolt being nagged into taking part in the fathers' race on sports day - fun for the spectators, but rather embarrassing for him and certainly for the other dads.

Or perhaps she thought going into the stalls was beneath her. They didn't force Maria Callas into a cattle crush before she went on stage, so why should she suffer that indignity?

Whatever her reasons were, the fact she is a bit of a diva only makes her more of an interesting individual. Admittedly, perhaps not to the stalls handlers.

A superior performance and a prima donna attitude - she really is a sporting legend. It seems the only thing the queen of the turf lacks now is a suitablenickname.

In retrospective news, the mighty Coral-Eclipse has been raised a pound after sixth-placed Jukebox Jury gave the form yet another boost by landing the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes last week.

The Sandown feature already looked like one of the strongest races for years, but the form just keeps getting better.

After the rise, Sea The Stars now sits on an RPR of 134, while runner-up Rip Van Winkle is on 132. A mark of 134 makes Sea The Stars the highest-rated horse since Ghostzapper (135) in 2004.

It also ranks him alongside Dalakhani as the best three-year-old of the last ten years.

Ghostzapper won nine of his 11 career starts and pulverised a red-hot field, including two Dubai World Cup winners, in the Breeders' Cup Classic; Dalakhani won eight from nine, including four Group 1s, and posted his big figure when landing the 2003 Arc.
top aw/dirt performers

1. Well Armed (US) Dubai World Cup 128
2. Rachel Alexandra (US) Haskell Invitational
127
3. Rail Trip (US)
Hollywood Gold Cup
125
4. Big City Man (KSA)
Golden Shaheen 124
Quality Road (US) Amsterdam 124
Zenyatta (US)
Vanity Handicap 124
7. Fabulous Strike (US) Carter Handicap 122
Game Face (US) Princess Rooney 122
Summer Bird (US)
Belmont Stakes 122
Two Step Salsa (UAE)
Wasel Trophy 122
Zensational (US)
Bing Crosby 122


top turf performers 1. Sea The Stars (IRE)
Eclipse 134
2. Rip Van Winkle (IRE) Eclipse 132
3. Goldikova (FR)
Jacques le Marois
130
4. Gladiatorus (UAE)
Dubai Duty Free
129
5. Conduit (GB) King George 127
Scenic Blast (AUS) King's Stand 127
7. Fame And Glory (IRE)
Irish Derby 126
Paco Boy (GB)
Queen Anne/Sussex 126
9. Sacred Kingdom (HK)
KrisFlyer Sprint 125
Tartan Bearer (GB) King George 125
Yeats (IRE)
Ascot Gold Cup 125

All roads lead to Santa Anita for Goldikova


France: All roads lead to California for Goldikova as the superstar filly's connections focus their attention on completing back-to-back victories in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita on November 8.

The four-year-old's connections have also refused to rule out the possibility that she could stay in training as a five-year-old in 2010.

Trainer Freddie Head landed a rare Breeders' Cup double on the great Miesque in 1987 and '88.

After Goldikova's demolition of her rivals to record her sixth Group or Grade 1 success in Sunday's Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, Head suggested the formidable daughter of Anabaa was "superior to Miesque".

Racing Post international handicapper Sam Walker has added weight to that view when he awarded Goldikova a mark of 130 for her six-length romp.

This represents the highest Racing Post Rating achieved by a filly for a decade, and 3lb more than America's Sweetheart Rachel Alexandra achieved whern trouncing the colts on the dirt in the recent Haskell Invitational.

Miesque set a track record in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park and then returned the following year to win at Churchill Downs.

Goldikova will have the added advantage of already being a course-and-distance winner at Santa Anita, the first venue to host successive Breeders' Cups.

However, it is to be hoped the US stalls handlers show as much patience as they did at Deauville on Sunday, where Goldikova played up. "She can be a little naughty at the start," admitted Head - and she took a good five minutes to load.

Head reported: "Goldikova is very well after her race and she will be staying down at Deauville for a few days before returning to Chantilly.

"The ultimate target is the Breeders' Cup Mile and for the moment the plan is to run in the Prix de la Foret (October 3)."

Another tilt at the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is not totally ruled out, butif she does go for the Foret, the 7f distance will be the shortest the filly has ever run over.

Last year, Goldikova lived in the shadow of Zarkava until their paths separated after the Prix de Diane.

The Wertheimer Brothers' racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau did not rule out the possibility of Goldikova's staying in training next year as a five-year-old.

"We are taking it step by step and see what happens in the Breeders' Cup," he said. "All options are being kept open."

Goldikova broke the race record for the Jacques Le Marois.