Orfevre: will not be making trip to Meydan for Dubai World Cup Carnival
PICTURE: Masakazu Takahashi
Orfevre to miss Dubai World Cup Carnival
By Masakazu Takahashi 10:25AM 11 JAN 2012
Japan: Orfevre, crowned the Japan Racing
Association's horse of the year for 2011 this month, will not be taking
in the Dubai World Cup Carnival, it was confirmed on Wednesday.
The first winner of Japan's Triple Crown since the great Deep Impact in 2005, Orfevre
will be kept to racing domestically at the start of the year with
connections making the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe his main target
for 2012.
A tilt at the Dubai Sheema Classic or the World Cup
were considered for the four-year-old, but connections want the horse to
be in peak condition for the Arc.
Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee said:
"He will race domestically this spring. It will be decided looking at
his condition, the weather and so on whether he will run in the
Takarazuka Kinen or not.
"I want to make his condition to be the peak at the Arc de Triomphe. I
will consider if the prep race will be a domestic one or in Europe
including France. We will go to France in the near future to make an
inspection."
The Takarazuka Kinen will be staged on June 24 at
Hanshin and Ikee added that the Grade 2 Hanshin Daishoten on March 18
and the Grade 1 Tenno Sho Spring on April 29 would be Orfevre's other
targets.
The horse is at the Northern Farm Shigaraki near Ritto Training Centre and will return to Ikee next month.
"He will be in an easy environment in January and be trained harder
at the firm in February," said the trainer. "He will be back to my
yardin Ritto in the end of February."
