A Question About Group I's in Europe

Paseana · Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:12 am

Just to set the question up, there's been a lot of discussion about Wise Dan's campaign this year. Some people are suggesting that he should ship across the pond to run in one or more of those prestigious mile races over there.

My question is.....do the racing establishments in Britain and Europe even allow geldings to run in their Group I races?

I remember back in the early 80's, Sam Rubin made some noise about sending John Henry to France to run in the Arc. That noise was silenced when he learned that geldings weren't allowed to run in the race. If anyone thought that he wasn't serious about shipping the great champion, they were proved wrong when John Henry ran in the Japan Cup (with disastrous results).

I also remember that the victory of the European gelding Teleprompter in the 1985 Arlington Million kind of embarrassed them. I think I remember that they relaxed their anti-gelding stance for some Group races after that. That was 30 years ago, and I can't be sure that I'm remembering anything right.

The point is that, even if Mort Fink and Charlie LoPresti wanted to send Wise Dan to one of those great Group I miles for 3&up in Europe, would he even be allowed to run?

Thanks for the answer which I'm sure to get. That's why I'm asking the question here.

Flanders · Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:55 am

Paseana wrote: My question is.....do the racing establishments in Britain and Europe even allow geldings to run in their Group I races?

Teleprompter had a big part in geldings being allowed in most Group 1s in Britain. British G1s I know that geldings can NOT race in the Classics, the St. James Palace, and the 2yo G1s. The 2/up Nunthorpe is open to geldings. France opened some up in the early 2000s.

I haven't read the Wise Dan thread in awhile so I'm not sure what races are being discussed. However, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is open to geldings.

Paseana · Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:30 pm

Thanks Flanders.

I've heard or read no discussion about one particular race or another, just that some folks think that, to really challenge Wise Dan, he should go over there to run.

I guess that, if they really wanted to, there ARE Group I races, in Britain at least, where he would be welcome to run.

That's actually good to know. Thanks again.

Northport · Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:49 pm

I know they can't race in the classics or the Arc, but I don't think that a lot of the restrictions would apply to Dan

Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:51 pm

The classics are restricted. But that wouldn't be any issue for Wise Dan, since he obviously won't start there. He could deffo come over here and race in G1 races.

arkle · Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:51 pm

All the 7-9f WFA G1s in Europe are open to geldings. Wise Dan would be more than welcome.

Lockinge 8f - mid May
Prix d'Ispahan 9.25f - late May
Queen Anne 8f - mid June
Sussex Stakes 8f - late Jul
Prix Marois 8f - mid Aug
Prix du Moulin 8f - mid Sep
Prix de la Foret 7f - early Oct
QEII 8f - mid Oct