DESERT ENCOUNTER, the 2018 winner of the Grade 1 Canadian International, is expected to be back for this year’s edition on Oct. 12.
Owned by Abdulla Al Mansoori and trained by David Simcock, the seven-year-old gelding has returned to top form after a messy spring with three straight Group 3 wins including the Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes for a second time at Newbury on Sept. 21.
Simcock told the media following the victory, “He’ll go and try to repeat his win from last year in the Canadian International at Woodbine. He flies over to Canada two weeks today. “We came here knowing he would be a little better for the run as he needs one run to take him to another.”
Last year, the handsome bright bay gelding won the International with a late surge past Thundering Blue who checked late. Focus Group finished third.
Woodbine’s Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes, which was on Sept. 14, could produce a few International starters but not the winner. OLD PERSIAN, an easy winner of the Northern Dancer, will go straight to the Breeders Cup in November.
Runner-up Nessy, trained by Ian Wilkes and Focus Group, third in the Dancer and third in last year’s International could return for the Oct. 12 race.
TIZ A SLAM, who had a streak of graded stakes wins on the grass going into the Northern Dancer, faded to fourth behind Old Persian but didn’t get his customary trip on the lead that day.
10 POSSIBLE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL CONTENDERS
- Desert Encounter
- Focus Group
- Nessy
- Tiz a Slam
- Pivoine
- Arklow
- Botswana
- Factor This
- Pillar Mountain
- Knight to Behold
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