Global Weekly Preview - 02.10.15

The title of the column should be changed this week to Global Extravaganza, for that is exactly what we have in racing this weekend, in Australia, France, Britain, and the United States.

Look at Australia for starters, which on the global clock is the first to feature. Royal Randwick in Sydney serves up a card of unparalleled quality on Saturday, with the Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps (both G1) accompanied by the G1 Flight Stakes, with the Gimcrack and the Roman Consul Stakes thrown in for good measure.

On Sunday, the racing focus switches to Melbourne, where the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington will hopefully supply more pointers to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, as well as the Cox Plate.

On the opposite side of the world, in France, it is Arc weekend, and Longchamp will play host to a 40,000 crowd (the majority being visitors from Britain and Ireland) who will enjoy a solid Saturday card as a prelude to Sunday's Arc programme, which features seven Group Ones, including the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

In Britain on Saturday, the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes takes pride of place on the Cesarewitch card at Newmarket, while in America, the G1 Breeders' Futurity is run at Keeneland, Kentucky.

The global angles to racing are endless, and this weekend will showcase most of the good aspects of the sport. It will be intense and exciting.

The Godolphin royal blue colours should be to the fore throughout the weekend if the stable's runners perform up to the expectations of their respective trainers, jockeys and managers.

Jockey James McDonald is already on record as saying in Sydney that he has been looking forward to Saturday's Randwick meeting with great anticipation.

Arguably his best chance is the brilliant filly Pearls in the G1 Flight Stakes. This Tea Rose-winning sister to Helmet, is very highly regarded at home. Her main rival is the Gai Waterhouse-trained Speak Fondly, recent runner-up to Exosphere in the G1 Golden Rose.

Exosphere gets his chance for more glory in the Roman Consul Stakes, which should be well within his capabilities, and McDonald can also look forward to the former European stayer Magic Hurricane, who should be ideally suited by the staying test required in the Metropolitan.

Godolphin also have Havana Cooler in the race, and he is another who will stay all day.

Sweynesse and Malice will carry stable hopes in the highly-competitive G1 Epsom Handicap, which never fails to provide a talking point of the Sydney carnival.

Hartnell is expected to progress again towards his ultimate goal of the G1 Melbourne Cup, but his draw of 15 in Sunday's G1 Turnbull at Flemington will be a huge obstacle in his path. If he can win from there, the Godolphin star will be promoted swiftly in markets on the Cup.

The French filly Esoterique is favoured to take the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, but another French filly, Maimara, could be a big danger.

In the States, Tom Albertrani is set to saddle Desert Tune for the G1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park.