Farewell Cirrus Des Aigles

The key to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering.” - Bruce Lee

On the afternoon of October 7th, 2008, nearly 7 ½ years ago, a handsome bay by Even Top out of the unraced mare Taille De Guepe began his road to glory. A handful in his youth, his trainer Corine Barande-Barbe, decided to geld the colt with hopes of focusing him and easing his temper. Not seen in many places in the world, many of the top races in France are restricted for geldings, including the famed Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. This would not stop the feisty young horse from coining his own place in the history books, despite his inability to compete in the most highly sought after turf race in the world.

That day in October, Cirrus Des Aigles finished 4th, and it would take until his 6th career race in his early three year old season before he finally broke his maiden. However, by the time he finished his that season, he had raced an astonishing 21 times in 14 months accumulating a record 21-6-10-3. The conclusion of that season would be with the first of many long distance voyages, where he finished 5th in the Hong Kong Vase. Cirrus Des Aigles would return to Sha Tin five more times for the elusive Hong Kong Vase, and despite never finding a win in Asia, he would earn the respect of horsemen around the world as a globetrotting contender always willing to leave everything he had to give on the track.

Until the start of his four year old season, Cirrus had only begun to skim the surface on his true talents on the flat racecourses of France and England. 2010 would prove a moderately successful season where his most notable win was in the G2 Prix Dollar on the l’Arc de Triomphe undercard. He would go on to win this race a total of four times, proving his love for his native soil of France. After another failed attempt abroad in Asia, he was rested for the winter to return to the track in the spring in what would prove to be his finest hours of racing.

2011 was a notable year in European racing, but not for the consistent gladiator in France. A young three year old in England by the name of Frankel was demolishing all in his path in such breathtaking manner that he captured the eyes of the world. Cirrus Des Aigles, unphased by the horse in England, returned to racing with a near miss in the G3 Prix Exbury. After another consistent on-the-board finish, he would next line up against the tiny wonder mare known as Goldikova. She was fresh off her 3rd Breeders’ Cup Mile victory and proved too much for Cirrus that day finishing a game ¼ length in front of now five year old gelding. Almost as if agitated by this narrow loss, Cirrus went on next to notch up another G3 win, but again was snubbed in his pursuit of a Group 1 win with a narrow loss to Sarafina in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

In 2011, Cirrus Des Aigles would find the winner’s circle three more times before his next crack at a Group 1 in the Qipco Champions Stakes. The field assembled here was one of the finest groups in the world that year. Champions So You Think and Snow Fairy, the talented Midday, and young stayer, Nathaniel, were all set to conclude their seasons with a performance cementing their mark as the finest ten furlong turf horse in Europe. Despite their best, none were better than Cirrus Des Aigles. He finally achieved the goal so many reach for, but never attain - he finally captured a Group 1 victory.

He concluded his five year old campaign in the same fashion as each year before it - with an unsuccessful trip to Hong Kong. Not distraught, he laid up for the winter and after a nice return in a low priced conditions race, he set sights on Dubai and the 1 ½ mile Dubai Sheema Classic. Perhaps his finest victory, he fought the entire stretch to find the wire with a narrow margin over the champion, St Nicholas Abbey, to win his second Group 1 race. This was the stepping stone of what was to come. He would return to Longchamp to capture the G1 Prix Ganay and also his familiar win on the Prix Dollar before perhaps the most highly anticipated matchup of his career. The achievements of this season earned him his only championship honor - the European Champion Older Horse.

2012 was the year that will be remembered in European racing as the year of Frankel. A herculean four year old, he was now being allowed to stretch to distances beyond a mile, and his last career race would come in the Qipco Champions Stakes. After a week of consistent rain, the turf was rated soft for the ten furlong conclusion to the British flat season. Where Frankel was a monster on good turf, there was some doubt as to his ability over a route of ground with soft footing. Did he have the lungs to win? Cirrus, whom had established himself a horse to treasure some cut in the ground, was up for the challenge. A stacked deck lay in front of Cirrus as Bullet Train, the pace setter for Frankel, jostled for position and eventually pressed the pace set by Cirrus with about five furlongs left to go. Entering the stretch at Ascot, Cirrus Des Aigles shot off with hopes of stealing the race, but Frankel was too much. To the credit of the French superstar, Cirrus Des Aigles made Frankel earn every stride and never spit the bit. He challenged for the entire race finishing a very impressive 1 ¾ lengths behind a horse that could be considered the greatest ever.

The battle with Frankel took a toll on the French stayer, and he would not return racing for nearly nine months. While his seven year old season was absent a G1 victory, he did again win the G2 Prix Dollar in route to his best finish in Sha Tin, where he finally hit the board in 3rd for the Vase.

Following a similar path to his 2012 campaign, he laid up for the winter with a return in a conditions race as a prep for the 2014 Sheema Classic. This time, he could do no better than 2nd, but the winner was no slouch. Gentildonna, the winner of the Sheema Classic, would go on to become one of Japan’s highest earning racehorses. His loss did not cause a lapse of focus, as he returned to France to take on the Arc winning mare Treve in the Prix Ganay. Over turf rated very soft, the two juggernauts of French racing gave fans all they could have wanted and more. For the entire length of the stretch they headed each other again and again in a display of determination that will give any racing fan chills. Cirrus Des Aigles found his nose in front of the wire in the most hard fought win of his career.

That win would be the first of three consecutive G1s, where he also captured the Prix D’Ispahan and the Coronation Cup. With another routine win in the Prix Dollar, he again set sights on Hong Kong, only to be foiled yet again.

His nine year old campaign began slightly different than his others in that he did not have his customary prep race before attempting group company again. This did not sway him from capturing his third G1 Prix Dollar, and showed that the aging warrior still had some gas left in the tank. This would be the last time he would win a race, but he would still bring his competitive spirit to the track in each of the five remaining races in his career. While wintering in Chantilly and preparing for his ten year old campaign, Corine Barande-Barbe noticed he was holding back in his workouts, and after discussion with his owners, decided that 67 races was enough. Although sound, he had earned his retirement.

Totaling 22 wins in his career, 17 of them came in stakes company, while seven of those were at the highest level. He earned over $8.8 million and retired as one of the most respected racehorses of the modern era. Both his affinity for soft turf and his ability to compete anywhere in the world set him apart. He brought his talents to the top level of competition for over seven years of racing. However, perhaps the most impressive statistic of his career is not a number, but a who - he beat and finished second to some of the greatest horses seen in Europe in many years.

Good horses receive accolades when they retire. The great ones are remembered years after they depart the turf. The immortals become the benchmarks for future generations.  In a time when fragility has become synonymous with the breed, he endured. In an industry where two straight losses ruins careers, he recovered. In a world of racetracks no longer bounded by geography and transportation, he travelled. In a time that saw some of the most talented middle distance turf runners ever, he won. Cirrus Des Aigles is more than durable. He is more than timeless. He is more than a thoroughbred. He is immortal.

Notable horses beaten by Cirrus Des Aigles:

Treve (6-time G1 winner; 2-time winner of the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triumphe)

St Nicholas Abbey (7-time G1 winner; European Champion two year old 2009)

So You Think (10-time G1 winner; World Champion Middle Distance Horse 2010)

Flintshire (3-time G1 winner)

Jakkalberry (G1 winner; 5-time stakes winner)

Snow Fairy (7-Time G1 winner; European Champion three year old 2010)

Midday (6-Time G1 winner)

Nathaniel (2 time G1 winner)

Hunter’s Light (3-time G1 winner)

Al Kazeem (4-time G1 winner)

Joshua Tree (2-time G1 winner)

Giafra (G1 winner; 2-time stakes winner)

Reliable Man (2-time G1 winner)

Wigmore Hall (2-time G1 winner)

Notable horses that Cirrus Des Aigles finished 2nd to. He never gave up.

Frankel by 1 ¾ lengths (10-time G1 winner; 2-time World’s Top Ranked Racehorse)

Goldikova by ¼ of a length (14-time G1 winner; five time champion 2009-2010)

Golden Lilac by ¾ of a length (3-time G1 winner)

Farhh by ¼ length (2-time G1 winner)

Sarafina by a neck (3-time G1 winner)

Gentildonna by 1 ½ lengths (6-time G1 winner; Japanese Horse of the Year 2012, 2014)

Byword by a short neck (1-time G1 winner; 4 time stakes winner)