Burrows seeking Group One breakthrough for Waardah

The four-year-old claimed her second win at Group Two level in the Park Hill at Doncaster three weeks ago and with conditions expected to suit, Burrows is hoping she can take the next step on Arc weekend.

“I’m looking forward to Waardah on Saturday. She did it well at Doncaster and just appreciates that bit of good ground,” said the Lambourn handler.

“Interestingly I see they had 7.5mm of rain on Wednesday night and I think they’re calling it soft ground, but I’d say it will dry back and will probably be good ground by Saturday. As long as it’s genuine good ground that will be fine.

“We respect the opposition definitely and we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

Waardah is part of a strong raiding party in the one-mile-six-furlong contest that also includes last year’s one-two, Consent and Santorini Star.

Consent finished third behind Waardah at Doncaster, while William Haggas’ Santorini Star returns to France after chasing home Joseph O’Brien’s Melbourne Cup favourite Defiantly in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville in August.

Haggas, who also saddles Yorkshire Oaks fourth Earth Shot, said: “Santorini Star is a very consistent filly who just got beat at Longchamp in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in the spring. She was a little disappointing last time when second in the Prix Kergorlay and lugged right a lot and never really got going, but she’s in good form and she’ll run another good race.

“Earth Shot won the Ribblesdale and then ran a very strange race in the Yorkshire Oaks. She looked like being tailed off then ran on to be fourth and I wondered whether she needed some headgear to make her focus a bit, so we’ve put some cheekpieces on and she’ll enjoy going up in trip.”

The pick of the home team is Francis-Henri Graffard’s Sunly, who looked a possible contender for the Arc itself after finishing a luckless third in the Prix Vermeille last month – but with the Juddmonte team represented by Kalpana in the big one, they have decided to split their aces.

“If the ground had been softer it would have suited Sunly (to run in the Arc), but we feel she will stay this trip given the way she hit the line last time and on a few occasions – it suggests a step up in trip would suit,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“Kalpana is a year older and a year more mature. Sunly hasn’t had a huge amount of racing and if the owners decide to keep her in training maybe this time next year it will be her lining up for the Arc.”

The first big race of Saturday’s card on the Bois de Boulogne is the Qatar Prix Chaudenay, which sees Aidan O’Brien’s one-time Derby favourite Pierre Bonnard bid to belatedly open his account for the season.

The next Group Two is the Qatar Prix Dollar, in which George Scott saddles his Irish Champion Stakes runner-up Wimbledon Hawkeye.

Scott said: “He’s just a really admirable horse who is not very big but tries really hard and always seems happy.

“He’s a pleasure to have around and Christophe (Soumillon) is his biggest fan, which I love. When a jockey has confidence in a horse, especially such a magic man like Christophe, it’s just wonderful to hear and fills you with confidence also.

“It looks a great spot for him and I’m sure it’ll be a tough race, but hopefully the others will all be looking at us as one to worry about.

“Hopefully he can keep it nice and smooth and he gets his day in the sun.”

The dual Guineas-placed Distant Storm looks a major contender stepping up in trip for Charlie Appleby, Phineas bids for a fifth straight win for Andre and Lavinia Fabre and Graffard’s Zaydann is eased in class after finishing fifth in the Juddmonte International at York.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “We have been pleased with Distant Storm since his win at Deauville.

“We have thought about stepping him up in distance for some time and I am looking forward to seeing how he gets on over this trip. It looks a strong renewal of the race, but we feel he will be a big player if he finds any improvement for the extra couple of furlongs. He heads to France in good nick and conditions should hopefully suit.”

Ridari won the Prix Daniel Wildenstein 12 months ago before being sold at the Arqana Arc Sale later that day for €950,000. Now with Scott, the four-year-old is back to defend his title.

Scott said: “He won the race last year and physically he is in unbelievable condition.”

Ridari’s rivals include Simon and Ed Crisford’s Solonoway Stakes winner Quddwah and Karl Burke’s multiple Group One-winning mare Fallen Angel.

The latter is owned by Wathnan Racing, whose adviser Richard Brown said: “The plan is for her swansong to be in the Filly & Mare Turf at the Breeders’ Cup and we just thought the ground would be a little bit kinder to her in France than at Newmarket (Sun Chariot).

“It’s a very important meeting for us with it being sponsored by Qatar and we’d rather run her on kinder ground with one eye on Keeneland.”