Cirrus des Aigles developed into the best horse racing over 2,000 metres in Europe last year and could also have gone for the World Cup, but turf racing suits him best and he must be one of the favourites as he goes for the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) at Meydan on March 31.

Stretching out to 2,400m is no problem, as this tough gelding has shown top class for at up to 2,500m. The Meydan oval should suit him well and this French challenger really has a lot going for him. He may have lost his prep race at home, against World Cup contender Zazou, but that was just a starting point and in a race staged over an artificial surface. We can expect him to run a bigger race on World Cup night. Much bigger.

He came into his own as a five-year-old last year, when he topped an excellent campaign with a win over the heavy favourite So You Think in the Champion Stakes (G1) over 2,000m at Ascot in September.

So You Think, likely favourite for the Dubai World Cup (G1), had previously beaten Derby winner Workforce in the Eclipse Stakes (G1) in England and the top class filly Snow Fairy in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) on home soil. Not many horses are capable of matching strides with So You Think, and with such form in the book, Cirrus des Aigles came into the reckoning for the World Cup, but a test run over the new Polytrack at Chantilly outside Paris on March 3 revealed he is happier on turf.

Most profitable

Cirrus des Aigles was beaten in the Prix Hotel Meydan and his trainer Corrine Barande-Barbe immediately said she would run him on turf at Meydan. "He was not as explosive as he is on turf," she said.

When racing over the lawn, Cirrus des Aigles has been a most profitable performer. Besides beating So You Think in the Champion Stakes, he was also victorious in the Grand Prix de Deauville (G2) over 2,500m and the La Coupe (G3) over 2,000m at Longchamp last year.

Cirrus des Aigles is as versatile as he is tough and runs to his best over distances ranging from 2,000 to 2,500m. He was a good second to Sarafina, one of the best fillies in Europe, in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) over 2,400m last June.

 

Geir Stabell is the editor of Globeform, a Newmarket-based independent racing and handicapping publication