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International Archive

Although I have TVG on this morning to watch the Dubai races, I’ll offer no picks or analysis here — I wouldn’t know where to begin handicapping fields with such an international cast. John at Not to the Swift, though, has no hesitations and has picks for each race, and Alan at Left at the Gate likes Magna Graduate for the World Cup. Anyone in need of past performances can get free PPs at the Daily Racing Form.
A Dubai chat room is open on the TBA site today, and TBA member Katrina is actually in Dubai, live blogging races and results on the Dubai Racing Club Carnival blog.

The four-day Cheltenham festival (subject of Bill Barich’s new book, “A Fine Place to Daydream” — more on that next week) ended today, with Irish jumper War of Attrition winning the Gold Cup. “He was something else. He jumped each fence absolutely impeccably. I knew he had plenty in the tank from the way he pinged the last two,” said jockey Conor O’Dwyer. Favorite Beef or Salmon “turned in another lifeless effort” and finished eleventh.
This year’s festival was marred by a high death toll among runners. Five horses died of injuries on Thursday, three in one race alone, bringing the total number of horses killed to nine over the course of the festival, the highest fatality rate since 1996 when 10 died. The Jockey Club has already announced it will investigate the deaths and review safety procedures.
More: “A sub-standard Cheltenham, in the absence of Kicking King, Trabolgan and Feathard Lady? Forget it.”

Immediately after winning her third straight Melbourne Cup, Australian champion Makybe Diva was retired to broodmare duty. “The queen of the track is to endure the fate of female aristocrats throughout history: arranged unions and dynastic pressures to continue her line.” A breeding expert estimates that a Makybe Diva foal by Storm Cat could fetch up to $8 million as a yearling.

“The news that Motivator is still a racehorse and will have his final start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf later this month was an excellent way to start the week, but in the middle of the sugar was a nasty little pill. A couple of hours before post-time in New York on October 29, it seems likely that someone will enter Motivator’s box with a syringe, and administer a performance-enhancing drug to the Derby winner. Had the same thing happened at Epsom on June 4, Michael Bell might well be an ex-trainer by now” (Guardian).

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