Variety is the spice of life, so they say, and that is especially so when it comes to the world of racing.
So, stand by for one of those extraordinarily invigorating months, no matter where you happen to be viewing the global picture.
Variety is the spice of life, so they say, and that is especially so when it comes to the world of racing. So, stand by for one of those extraordinarily invigorating months, no matter where you happen to be viewing the global picture.
Europe is currently caught up in the whirl of a new round of Classics, the United States is preparing for the famous 'Run For The Roses' at Churchill Downs, while Australia appears to be winding down, but only to some extent, following the buzz of The Championships in Sydney and the Autumn Carnival in Melbourne.
Down Under, Victorians have just enjoyed the three-day Warrnambool Carnival in the southern state's Western District. Warrnambool, 165 miles from Melbourne, boasts an attractive mix of Flat and the best of Jumps racing, and has been popular with locals for well over a century. There are no signs of that interest waning.
Personally, I am looking forward to the early French Classics being run at Deauville. With construction work on a new grandstand at Longchamp relentlessly progressing, France-Galop have switched both the G1 French 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas to Normandy's stylish seaside town. Next weekend, two Classics decided on the straight 1,600m course - as regularly used for the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois - will indeed be a novelty.
But if I had a choice of three horses, who might set the pulse racing in the coming week, I would settle for the unbeaten Nyquist in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, and two French-trained Godolphin runners trained by Andre Fabre.
The French duo are Cloth Of Stars, a three-year-old colt by Sea The Stars, who goes on 'trial' for the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club in Sunday's G2 Prix Greffulhe, and the unraced Ancient History, a son of Shamardal, who runs in the one-mile Prix Gyges at Saint-Cloud on Wednesday.
Fabre thinks very highly of both, particularly Ancient History, who, he said, showed "a lot of ability" in his home work last year but was not ready for a run before the end of the season. "He could be a useful horse," the trainer, a master of understatement, commented recently.
Prior to the French three-year-olds stepping out, however, Nyquist might just be able to put his case for being worthy of a mention in the same breath as last year's winner, American Pharoah, when he lines up in the middle of 20 runners for the G1 Kentucky Derby.
We all want to see special horses. And we might get just that in the next few days.
