Americain wins in France

Americain is on track to defend the Melbourne Cup after a first-up win in a small field in the Listed Prix de Reux (2500m) at Deauville yesterday.

After disappointing in two runs in France earlier in the year, the Australian-owned Americain (b or br h 2005, Dynaformer (USA)-America (IRE), by Arazi (USA)) swooped on the leader inside the final 200m and quickened impressively to win by a length for his Melbourne Cup winning jockey Gerald Mosse.

Americain started second favourite at odds of 21/10. Diamond Boy (17/2) was second a short head in front of Burma Gold (6/1) with another length to 6/4 favourite Ley Hunter. The well-credentialled Gentoo was fifth ahead of Americain’s stablemate Maria Royal.

www.racingpost.com reported that trainer Alain de Royer Dupre said of Americain: “He was not happy in the spring (when unplaced in staying races at Saint-Cloud and Longchamp) and it takes time to recover after crossing the world (for wins in the Geelong and Melbourne Cups and a third in the International Vase at Sha Tin in Hong Kong).

“Americain is a seasonal horse who comes to his best at this time. The horse is now spot on. Like last year, he will now go and try to win another Prix Kergorlay (August 21) and then go into quarantine. He may not have another race before the Melbourne Cup.

“Gerald (Mosse) gets on very well with the horse, who was looking magnificent today and he has never had any problems.”

That opinion was mirrored by Mosse. He told the website’s reporter: “Americain is one of the best looking horses I have ever sat on and he is coming back to his best. He picked up nicely after a flat spot.”

Americain was among Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate nominations announced by Racing Victoria yesterday and will be in Melbourne Cup noms when they are published early next month.

Owners Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford are keen for the horse to run in the Group 1 Cox Plate (wfa, 2400m) at Moonee Valley on October 22 if de Royer Dupre wants Americain to have an Australian lead-up race for the November 1 Cup over 3200m.

In the 150th Melbourne Cup last year, Americain beat Maluckyday and So You Think.

So You Think, then in the care of Bart Cummings but now trained by Aidan O’Brien for Coolmore in Ireland after Dato Tan Chin Nam sold a controlling interest to the stud, has been entered in the Cox Plate, which he won in 2009 and 2010.

However, Coolmore’s Australian chief Tom Magnier indicated that stablemate Cape Blanco was a more likely starter. So You Think’s next start will be the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) at Leopardstown in Dublin on September 3, with the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m), Europe’s premier weight-for-age feature, at Longchamp in Paris on October 2, believed to be preferred to the Cox Plate as the main target.