By now we have all been numbed by the dominance of European imports in our major staying races and Saturday’s $1,500,000 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens is no different.
With just the admirably brave Single Gaze and a seemingly out of form Lasqueti Spirit left to keep the home fires burning, five Europeans, one New Zealand immigrant and one Japanese-bred shape-up to fight out the finish.
Thankfully, most of the imports had some excellent form in their home countries before embarking on the trip to Australia.
There would not be a more intriguing runner anywhere on Saturday than the Anthony Freedman-trained Ambitious (JPN).
He would be hard to back on the strength of his ninth in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10 but on the positive side he was beaten just on four lengths in what looked to be the slower part of the track and at his first start since the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen nine months previously.
The 6yo son of Deep Impact has some seriously good form around some of the best of his era in Japan including the likes of Kitasan Black, Maurice, Duramente, Lovely Day and A Shin Hikari.
Having said that we have narrowed the choices down to two, Gailo Chop (photos Grant Courtney) ) and Almandin (IRE).
Melbourne Cup hero Almadin (IRE) will relish the step up in distance to 2400 metres, however, we will not be hanging Gailo Chop (FR) on his failure at his only start at the distance when down the track to Postponed in the 2016 Sheema Classic at Meydan.
The Darren Weir-trained gelding has earned a huge fan base in his adoptive homeland through his front-running style and never-say-die attitude.
And his breeding is more blue-collar than blueblood.
His sire Deportivo was bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms.
A son of the Northern Dancer stallion Night Shift, a former shuttler to Woodlands Stud, out of the Kenmare mare Valencia, Deportivo raced four times at two, winning his first three at Bath, Pontefract and the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury before beating just one of the nine starters home in the Group II Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte.
In six starts at three, Deportivo was never asked to go any further than 5-furlongs.
He won the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot, the Listed Faught Memorial Stakes at the Curragh and the Group II Flying Five on the same track before rounding out the year by trailing the field home in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint won by an unstoppable Silent Witness.
Deportivo was kept in training at four, but he didn’t make another start and at the end of the year was retired to the National Stud.
He was poorly patronized and was shopped around a bit before finding a home at Alain Chopard’s Haras des Faunes in the south of France.
Choppard bred Gailo Chop out of his mare Grenoble whose 31-start career yielded just one win.
She is a daughter of Blushing Groom’s French Derby runner-up Marignan who ended his stallion career covering jumping mares in Ireland, although he was easy to like on pedigree as his dam Madelia (Caro) won both the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane and produced the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Moonlight Dance.
A Listed winner at Nantes at two, Gailo Chop (FR) won four of his five starts, the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault over 2000m at Saint-Cloud, Group III Prix La Force over 2000m at Longchamp, Group III Prix Noailles over 2100m at Longchamp, and Group II Prix Guillaume over 2000m at Deauville.
His only defeat came when takes to America for the Belmont Derby where he clocked in fourth behind Mr Speaker and the future WS Cox Plate winner Adelaide.
Second, to the star Solow in the Group 1 Prix D’Ispahan at Longchamp, with Cirrus Des Aigles behind, Gailo Chop (FR) came to Australia off the back of a win in the Group III Le Coupe De Maisons-Laffitte on September 18th, 2015.
He was never really a factor in the Cox Plate, where Winx defeated Criterion and Highland Reel although he bounced back seven days later to win the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington when still trained by Frenchman Antoine De Watrigan.
Gailo Chop (FR) travelled to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Cup but he pulled a muscle in his back and had to be scratched.
He went back to France and the following March he ran third at Chantilly before heading Dubai for the 2400m Sheema Classic in Dubai where he finished seventh behind Postponed.
Back in France, Gailo Chop (FR) was found to have suffered a tendon injury and was put on a plane to do some R&R at the stables of Darren Weir in Australia.
After 73 weeks off the scene, the OTI colour-bearer made a much-anticipated start in the Group II P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield where he promptly finished last of the 11 starters.
Two weeks later in the Penny Edition Stakes at Morphettville, there were no Hartnells or Black Heart Barts in the Listed Penny Edition Stakes and Gailo Chop (FR) was back in the winner’s circle. He has been a model of consistency since.
He added a second Group 1 when defeating Johannes Vermeer (IRE) and Jon Snow in the Caulfield Stakes (2000m) last October and this preparation shapes as being his best.
It kick-started when winning the Group III TS Carlyon Cup on February 10 then added the Group III Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield.
After being edged out by the shock winner Harlem (GB) in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington, Gailo Chop (FR) could not have been any more impressive at his Sydney debut, romping to a 3-length win over Single Gaze in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
While we may harbour some concerns at him over the distance, we are certain Gailo Chop (FR) will give his all in the Tancred Stakes.
With the $870,000 winner’s cheque, Gailo Chop’s earnings would rocket to over $4.1 million.
How many would have predicted that when the handsome chestnut was beaten five and a half lengths into third place at Bordeaux at his career debut back in July 2013?
