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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 29, 2005

ELMONT, NEW YORK

ERIC WING: Okay. We're back live in the interview room and we're joined first by the winning rider of the Shirocco, Christophe Soumillon. You're one of many riders today celebrated their first Breeder's Cup win. First of all, it looked like the grounds was perfectly to Shirocco's liking.

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON: For sure. The ground is good for him, was a disappointment in the mile and fillie, same fillie didn't like the soft ground like this. I know that she would like the ground, sometimes ground, but the horse in the in good form. Never know before the race how we can do. We know that number one in the gates goes in front and make the pace for the other horse. So I try with my trainer, try to start and see how goes the race, and don't go too fast with the horse, don't stop his balance. He needs to always have a good race, never pull him to go in behind, because his balance is going shortly and he can no go in back after.

ERIC WING: Christophe, you didn't ride Shirocco in the Arc. The only time you had ridden him was the race prior to the Arc? How did you find wind up back on Shirocco today?

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON: The horse improve a lot. When I rode him for the first time, I went to the manager of the stable, was probably a very good horse, but it was little bit short to go three weeks before the Arc. One race in the Arc to win the race, probably the capacity to win. But it's a very hard thing to stay with one year no race, and then make a first start in three weeks after going in the Arc, like a Breeder's Cup. It's a very tough race. If you are not 100 percent form, it's very hard to go to the post in the race. He was behind all the time and finish strongly. The run was soft for him. It was a good thing.

ERIC WING: Now, what we call rabbits over here, and you call them pacemakers, I guess, in Europe. I guess that's commonplace in racing in France and England, it's very rare here in the United States. When you do have pacemakers in Europe, do they typically get far out in front as Shake the Bank did?

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON: The thing normally in Europe, when we start, we try to follow the lead horse, the rabbit, like you say, don't let him go too far in front. Today I didn't want kill my horse to follow him in the start, because the pace was strong enough on my horse. When I feeling good in the back straight, I let him breathe well. When the horse going back on the rider, I let him go and when he pass the rabbit. He takes a lot the rider, he feels good today. That's why I let him just go in the turn and let him go to the post, because he wants to gallop today.

ERIC WING: We're joined now as well by trainer Andre Fabre, who registered his fourth career Breeder's Cup win prior to today, he had won with In The Wings 1990 Turf, the legendary longshot Arcangues in Classic '94, and most recently with Banks Hill the sister to Intercontinental in the Fillie and Mare Turf. Congratulations. First of all, tell us about your decision to run Shirocco, three weeks back after the Arc effort.

ANDRE FABRE: It was a horse light racer this year, a fresh horse, an obviously enough way to come to New York. I was very confident after he won in the Arc. He need it a little bit.

ERIC WING: Four weeks I should have said. Andre, obviously, by the performance, he liked the ground, but were you confident all along that this would hit him right between the eyes, so to speak?

ANDRE FABRE: Well, he acts on any ground, because he run very well, also, the ground was faster. He's a strong galloper, today's condition favored him.

ERIC WING: Andre, those of us in the United States hear a lot about the big European stars, and there were certainly several this year. Christophe rode one of them Devine Proportions, who unfortunately didn't make it here. Tell us about --

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON: Not me.

ERIC WING: Anyway. Shirocco is not one of the horses we heard all that much about here Stateside. Talk about his development and how he kind of emerged from under the radar to big stage now.

ANDRE FABRE: He run Schalinderham (ph) one of the older traditional farms in Europe, successful through the year. I think he's one of the best horses they bred there. By the German sire Munson, he's a typical representative of a German breeding, staying horses lot of power, acting on any ground with big hearts.

ERIC WING: And I know the owner isn't here right now, any idea, are you going to call it a career with Shirocco? Any chance he could run back at five?

ANDRE FABRE: He will stay in training and he will go for all the big international events around the mile and a half.

ERIC WING: Talking Asia or --

ANDRE FABRE: Probably stay in Europe or America.

ERIC WING: Any questions either upstairs in the press boxes or down here for Christophe or Andre? Why did the horse go almost a year without running?

ANDRE FABRE: I think he had a training setback when he was at the farm in Germany, and he didn't find the proper condition since he came to France.

ERIC WING: When did you get him in your stable?

ANDRE FABRE: Three months ago he came on the farm.

ERIC WING: Any other questions, Andre or Christophe? Andre, did you give any instructions to Christophe? We were talking earlier about how that we don't use rabbits in America all that often. Shake the Bank is one that likes to get 10 or 15 lengths out in front, contrary to both races in Europe. Did you give him any instructions in Europe? This is only the second time he had ridden Shirocco.

ANDRE FABRE: My only instruction was to make a lot of use of the horse. I knew he could follow any pace and take the lead if nobody was there.

ERIC WING: Christophe, is it a measure of pride for you and your colleagues in both on the riding front and also those who train in Europe not just to win the race, but see the Europeans run one, two, three?

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON: Yeah, it's a good thing for us, but the race today, I think it's doing to have good performance from the European horses because the track is soft and the pace was good and today there was good European horses. To come back was one of the best horses in Europe. As was the best two months ago, I think it was a very hard race today. Shirocco today very easy. I think big champions, that's why it's quality probably high.

ERIC WING: Mr. Fabre, other than the improvement from just conditioning of having an additional race, what was the difference in his race today and his race in the Arc in terms of position and so on?

ANDRE FABRE: I think one of the major things your position was not exactly the same. And, of course, it wasn't only third race of the year.

ERIC WING: Since you won the Arc with Hurricane Run, Andre are you one of the trainers who definitely prefers to run at least grass horses in the Breeder's Cup here in New York, rather than some of the other sites where the events is occasionally held?

ANDRE FABRE: I think only American courses will do any horses. I'm happy to go.

ERIC WING: Your jockey talked about him not wanting to get the horse off balance. I'm assuming he means never getting him in traffic or having to check or anything, is that a key for this horse's running time?

ANDRE FABRE: It is important. The horse wants to be in the race. He's not a horse needs to be covered. He doesn't want to get in trouble because he has a huge stride.

ERIC WING: So it makes it kind of a delicate kind of ride he has to give it?

ANDRE FABRE: Easiest ride, he has to break well.

ERIC WING: Let's let Christophe weigh in.

CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON: For sure a very easy ride if you put anybody on. You wait like I do on the opposite side of the straight, you need to know when you need to start with him, because you can not start 1,000-meter before the post. The horse was the best today. That's why you win. I need to go, sorry.

ERIC WING: Andre Fabre, Christophe Soumillon, congratulations, all done.

End of FastScripts...

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