Global Weekly Review: Godolphin revs up for Classics with French success

Nothing could have been more encouraging for the important days ahead than Godolphin's winning treble at Saint-Cloud on Monday. It set the scene for a big week in which the stable will have key runners in Classics on both sides of the Atlantic.

Trainer Andre Fabre continued his recent rich vein of form when saddling the talented Cloth Of Stars for a gutsy victory in the G1 Prix Ganay, in which the colt was forced to dig deep to hold off the late surge of Zarak.

Fabre has always thought highly of Cloth Of Stars, who he ear-marked as G1 potential by running him in the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom last year -- he finished 8th -- and his opinion has been fully vindicated by the four-year-old's excellent performances this season.

Cloth Of Stars, a son of Sea The Stars, has a pedigree that makes him very marketable and appealing, particularly in Europe. Not only was his sire an outstanding racehorse (and, now, proven Classic-winning sire), his dam is a grand-daughter of the exceptional Northern Trick.

Two other performances on the Saint-Cloud card were noteworthy for Godolphin -- the Fabre-trained Jimmy Two Times landed the G2 Prix du Muguet with plenty in hand, while the Charlie Appleby-trained Wolf Country made all for a sparkling seasonal debut.

Appleby had by-passed Sandown's Friday fixture, preferring to wait for some ease in the ground, which he got in Paris.

Mention of Sandown brings us neatly to Atty Persse, the Godolphin colt trained by Roger Charlton, who took the Esher Cup with a truly courageous effort.

Yes, this was handicap company, but Atty Persse displayed qualities of a young horse with Classic potential as he overcame a series of checks and bumps in a rough race. After being blocked for a run in the home straight, he was entitled to cry 'enough' but instead he knuckled down to the task and won narrowly.

Charlton is looking to one of the established Derby trials next, and then we will be able to gauge more accurately how far he can progress.

Internationally, it was a big weekend for high-profile Japanese horses. Kitasan Black was a brilliant winner of the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) in Kyoto and now is to be aimed at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October, while Neorealism benefited from a classic Joao Moreira ride by taking the tactical G1 QEII at Sha Tin, Hong Kong.