Cualificar gets trial verdict to set up Arc bid

Cualificar threw his hat into the ring for this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a thrilling win in one of the main trials for the autumn highlight, the G2 Prix Niel, at Longchamp on Sunday.

The Lope de Vega colt looked set for an unlucky defeat as he found himself boxed in by rivals in the straight but flew home once clear to post a career-best victory.

A winner of four of his six starts this season, Cualificar also ran well to take second in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, with his only disappointing effort coming when finishing third off a break in August’s G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano.

He will now bid to provide Andre Fabre with a ninth Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The trainer’s first winner, Trempolino in 1987, coincidentally also finished second in the Prix du Jockey Club, third in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and won the Prix Niel.

Pericles has already established himself as a classy operator in Australia and the half-brother to Helmet and Epaulette captured the G2 Tramway Stakes for a second time at Randwick on Saturday. Now in the care of Bjorn Baker, the six-year-old is the first major winner for Godolphin in Australia since the switch from a private training operation.

Successful in the same race in 2023, Pericles has filled the runner-up spot at G1 level on three occasions as well as finishing a head second in the 2023 Golden Eagle. The son of Street Boss will be hoping to gain an elusive top-level success over the coming months.

Quiet Street made it a good week for Street Boss as she remained unbeaten with a swooping win in the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf could be an option for the exciting filly, although she would probably need another run beforehand.

Thunder Snow colt Narukami produced a sensational display at Morioka on Tuesday as he readily won the Jpn G2 Kozukata Sho under a hands and heels ride.

Godolphin runners are a perfect three wins from three starts at the NAR course, with Lemon Pop annexing two Jpn G1 races at the track, and there are high hopes that Narukami can go on to make a similar impact to the dual Dirt Champion.