UNBEATEN in 2018, the public expectation that followed Almond Eye entering the new year knew no boundaries. Her seasonal reappearance came with a commanding performance in the Group 1 Dubai Turf, her first trip overseas, and all seemed to be on track for a globetrotting and dominant 2019.

Shortly after her winning trip to Meydan, news broke that connections had decided against sending the daughter of Lord Kanaloa to challenge for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a race that has become an industry obsession in Japan.