Ferland declares Cup desire

Christophe Ferland (Image: @OsarusSales Twitter)

French trainer Christophe Ferland has set his sights on this year’s Melbourne Cup after his improving stayer Get Shirty won his first Stakes race at Deauville on Saturday.

Get Shirty ($5) settled in third position under Christophe Soumillon before gaining the ascendancy early on straightening and maintaining his effort to the line to win the Listed Prix du Carrousel (3000m) by 1.75 lengths from Ashrun ($6).

“He (Get Shirty) is a lovely horse – he’s proved, over a long distance, he’s really good,” Ferland told At The Races after the four-year-old gelding won his third race from 11 starts.

“Last time, he did really well in a Group 2 (third in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier), hit the front very strongly and got beat by good horses. He is getting more mature.”

Third-placed Ghostwatch ($2.90 favourite), trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, was once touted as a 2019 Melbourne Cup contender via the Andrew Ramsden Stakes before succumbing to injury. Ghostwatch has been placed twice from three starts since completing his rehabilitation and returning to racing in June.

Get Shirty’s placing in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3000m) at Chantilly on June 14 saw him finish 1.75 lengths behind OTI Racing’s leading Melbourne Cup contender San Huberto.

The Prix Vicomtesse Vigier runner-up was Call The Wind, who defeated four competitors from last year’s Melbourne Cup – Prince Of Arran, Cross Counter, Twilight Payment and Downdraft – to claim the US$2.5 million Longines Turf Handicap (3000m) in Saudi Arabia in February.

Ferland, who is based at La Teste de Buch, not far from Bordeaux in south-west France, says Get Shirty will remain in Deauville ahead of his next start at the venue in the €90,000 G2 Darley Prix Kergorlay (3000m) on August 23, setting up an expected rematch against San Huberto and Call The Wind.

“We’ll discuss with Christophe (Soumillon) if he can go further – but my idea, if COVID-19 lets us travel, he’s a horse I’d like to send to Australia for the Melbourne Cup.”

Ferland is yet to have a runner in Australia but is an accomplished trainer in his own right, having prepared 41 winners from 78 individual runners this year to sit eighth in the French trainers’ premiership.

Get Shirty provided Teofilo, sire of 2018 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter, with his 93rd Stakes winner. He is out of Monsun mare Soccer Mom, with the German-bred Monsun the sire of three Melbourne Cup winners – Fiorente (2013), Protectionist (2014) and Almandin (2016).