Shirocco, Huricane Run possible for the Prix Foy

[my miss storm cat]

Just up on RP.....

Hurricane and Shirocco on course for early duel in Prix Foy

by Lee Mottershead

HURRICANE RUN and Shirocco, the stablemates vying for Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favouritism, could be on course for an early duel over the Arc's course and distance after Andre Fabre revealed yesterday he is happy to run both in next month's Prix Foy.

While 2005 Arc hero Hurricane Run, most recently successful in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, was confirmed on course for the Group 3 Prix Foy, Shirocco could instead head to Germany for the Grosser Preis von Baden a week today.

However, Fabre yesterday made clear his reservations about running the German-owned Shirocco - who finished fourth in last year's Arc - in the Baden-Baden Group 1 contest, for which the next acceptance stage is tomorrow.

Conversely, France's perennial champion trainer made clear he would have no reservations about letting his two stars go head to head for a second time on September 10.

Fabre said: "Hurricane Run is in very good shape and will run in the Foy but it has not been decided yet if Shirocco runs at Baden-Baden or not. I am waiting on the forfeits and the ground, and I need to speak with the owner Baron von Ullmann. "The German race is very tempting, but I don't want him to have a hard race, and the German horses could be pretty good. If he doesn't run in Germany, he will run in the Foy too.

"Hurricane Run and Shirocco have already run together before, and they will run together in the Arc, so I don't mind. The Foy is only a prep race, and they might even be beaten by a third horse!"

The likelihood of Christophe Soumillon being free to partner Shirocco for the rest of the season increased yesterday when Georges Rimaud, spokesman for the rider's employer the Aga Khan, revealed that the owner's Prix du Jockey-Club winner Darsi will not run again this season. The Aga's Derby fifth Visindar is also sidelined until 2007.

Since succumbing to Hurricane Run last October, Shirocco has landed his next three starts, following his triumph in the Breeders' Cup Turf with decisive successes this year in the Jockey Club Stakes and Coronation Cup.