Cirrus des Aigles set to reclaim Champion Stakes title

Cirrus des Aigles was being written off by several pundits after a few lack-lustre performances this summer but he has bounced back with two emphatic victories. The most recent of those came in the Group 2 Prix Dollar where he trounced Mandour by a length and three-quarters.

Whilst the bare form is well short of his previous best, jockey Christophe Soumillon reported that the horse could have won by twelve lengths. As he is proven on soft ground, he appears to hold all the credentials necessary to make a triumphant return to the winner’s enclosure on Saturday.

The main danger has to be Godolphin’s Farhh who put up a very classy performance to win the Lockinge Stakes in May. Declaration Of War and Aljamaaheer were among those left trailing in his wake that day as he sprinted clear to win by four lengths.

Unfortunately he met with an injury shortly before Royal Ascot and this will be his first run since May. That has to be a concern for a Group 1 contest in testing conditions but he will be a big threat if he is fit enough to do himself justice.

Mukhadram put up his best performance in defeat when second to Al Kazeem at the Royal meeting. He made a brave bid to make all the running that day and forced the favourite to dig deep to pass him. He may have been feeling the effects of that hard race when beaten again in the Coral Eclipse and struggled home at York subsequently.

Epsom Derby winner Ruler Of The World was fancied to run a big race in the Arc after a promising effort in the Prix Niel but could manage no better than seventh. He now drops back to a mile and a quarter and  will surely need a strong gallop. The same applies to Sir Michael Stoute’s Hillstar who has been the subject of encouraging reports from the home gallops.

The French challenge is bolstered by the three-year-olds Triple Threat and Morandi whilst Hunter’s Light, Parish Hall and Main Sequence complete the field for the Group 1 prize.