Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (Galileo-Waldlerche, by Monsun), who is part-owned by the Jacobs family of Maine Chance Farms in the Cape, looks likely to give next week’s Breeders’ Cup a miss.
His owners and trainer have indicated that they are opting to retire the entire who beat Enable (Nathaniel-Concentric, by Sadler’s Wells).
Waldgeist storms up to collar Enable in the Arc
So reports bloodhorse.com.
Speaking at Deauville this week, trainer Andre Fabre said, “We’re talking to the good (stud) farms and the wish is to retire him. Nobody is really keen to think about another race at this stage.”
Waldgeist’s majority owner is Dietrich von Boetticher’s Gestut Ammerland, while Newsells Park Stud also has a 25% share.
Von Boetticher said after the Arc, “It would be natural to say it can’t get any better than this and that we should finish, but I have known André Fabre now for so many years that I would never make a decision of which he doesn’t approve. So far I’m not making a decision.”
With regards to the Breeders’ Cup, he went on to say, “I think with a horse like this everything could be possible. On the other hand, he has done a huge job travelling from one end of the world to the other and run against tough competition in top races so I think not, after all he is a living being and not a machine.”
Waldgeist has won 9 of his 21 starts, including four Gr1 races, and has earnt prizemoney in France, USA, and Hong Kong with his win range from 1600m to 2400m.
His dam, Waldlerche, is a G3-winning half-sister to Gr1 The St Leger winner Masked Marvel (Montjeu).
