Caulfield Cup, Arc Possible Targets for Port Guillaume
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Photo: Racing Post/Scott Burton
Port Guillaume has been bought by Hong Kong owner Edmund Lee
Impressive Prix Hocquart Longines (G2) winner Port Guillaume has been sold to continue his career in Australia, but trainer Jean-Claude Rouget will have at least one more chance to earn group 1 honors with the son of Le Havre before his departure, with a tilt at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) not off the table.
Agents Alastair Donald and Bertrand Le Metayer brokered the deal for Port Guillaume after his recent Deauville win, and he will now carry the colors of Hong Kong-based Edmund Lee.
At what stage he is shipped to join the training partnership of Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will depend on his next run at ParisLongchamp's Arc Trials meeting Sept. 13.
"He will run in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) and then depending on how he goes, he will either revert to the Caulfield Cup (G1) or, if he happened to win impressively, he'd probably give it a whirl in the Arc," Donald said.
"He's a very exciting horse who caught my attention when he was eye-catching in the Prix du Jockey Club (G1) and then followed that up with an impressive win in the Hocquart.
"We've always bought a few horses for Edmund Lee to run in Australia, including Harlem and Spillway—both group 1 winners for him—as well as Redkirk Warrior, who went via Hong Kong.
"We very much liked his profile and think he will be a top-class horse in Australia."
Port Guillaume is no bigger than 25-1 for the Arc, and with Mishriff—reported to be heading for the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1)—and Serpentine both needing to be supplemented, he is the shortest priced 3-year-old colt to actually hold an entry.