Wellbeing Guns Down Sakhee in France
- Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00
Last year's European champion racehorse has not been sighted since flopping in the Dubai World Cup in March and was expected by connections to win this Group III contest enroute to a crack at the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown next month.
However, they hadn't reckoned on a revitalised Wellbeing, a Group III winner in England, who relished the soft ground and powered away from a below-par Sakhee to win by a length.
Godolphin had been aiming the five-year-old by Bahri for a repeat bid in the Arc in October, but are now considering retiring him.
This was Wellbeing's second start of the term since moving from Henry Cecil to Chantilly-based Pascal Bary.
Out of Charming Life (Sir Tristram), and a half-brother to the Ashwell Farm, Cambridge, sire Kingfisher Mill, he had posted four wins from 11 starts in the UK, however was transferred to France where he is more likely to get the soft ground conditions he needs to be seen to best effect.
Adding to the NZ flavour of the contest was the inclusion of Andre Fabre-trained Sangreal (Celtic Swing-Grosvenor Gardens, by Grosvenor) in the field. The four-year-old however looked ill at ease on the very soft ground and finished well adrift.
Kingfisher Mill (by Riverman) stands at Ashwell Farm for NZ$5,500 plus GST.
Media Release - TNZ