Arc flop Galikova to be rested until next season
Posted by Robert James on Monday, October 10, 2011
On what proved to be a frustrating day for her owners the Wertheimer Brothers and her trainer Freddie Head, Galikova, strongly fancied in the Horse racing betting stakes, managed to win the feature Group1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, could only manage ninth place and will now be turned out for the rest of the season with a view to coming back next year to contest the pick of European middle-distance events, writes Elliot Slater.
Having watched Galikova’s legendary older half-sister Goldikova go down to an agonising head defeat at the hands of Dream Ahead in the Prix de la Foret on her last outing in front of her adoring French public, the Wertheimers must have been more than hopeful that Galikova could step up to the mark and put in a big performance in the showcase mile-and-a-half contest, but after settling nicely in midfield under Oliver Peslier the daughter of Galileo didn’t pick up from the two furlong from home marker and eventually came home an 11-lengths ninth of the 16 runners behind German sensation Danedream.
Head had made no secret of the fact that he expected Galikova to run with credit and could not hide his disappointment at the three-year-old not managing to get in the thick of the action. He suggested that a long season that began back in April when Galikova won at Saint Cloud might well have contributed to her lack lustre effort and immediately announced that she won’t race again this term.
Expecting her to come back bigger and better in 2012, Head has little doubt that Galikova’s form in running a length second to Golden Lilac in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks), and in winning the Group 2 Prix Guillaume D’Orno at Deauville and the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp last month, prove that she is a high-class filly, highly fancied by those who bet on racing, and will be a major force to be reckoned with next season.
Having watched Galikova’s legendary older half-sister Goldikova go down to an agonising head defeat at the hands of Dream Ahead in the Prix de la Foret on her last outing in front of her adoring French public, the Wertheimers must have been more than hopeful that Galikova could step up to the mark and put in a big performance in the showcase mile-and-a-half contest, but after settling nicely in midfield under Oliver Peslier the daughter of Galileo didn’t pick up from the two furlong from home marker and eventually came home an 11-lengths ninth of the 16 runners behind German sensation Danedream.
Head had made no secret of the fact that he expected Galikova to run with credit and could not hide his disappointment at the three-year-old not managing to get in the thick of the action. He suggested that a long season that began back in April when Galikova won at Saint Cloud might well have contributed to her lack lustre effort and immediately announced that she won’t race again this term.
Expecting her to come back bigger and better in 2012, Head has little doubt that Galikova’s form in running a length second to Golden Lilac in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks), and in winning the Group 2 Prix Guillaume D’Orno at Deauville and the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp last month, prove that she is a high-class filly, highly fancied by those who bet on racing, and will be a major force to be reckoned with next season.