France
Arc glory for Frankel's Alpinista
Carried out in driving rain and accompanying gloom, Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe went to Kirsten Rausing's Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who with her ever-whitening coat and mud-dappled white silks navigated what resembled a ploughed field like a trail of luminescence at Paris Longchamp.
Taking the eye throughout as she made easy work of the swiftly deteriorating conditions under Luke Morris, who had been in action on the all-weather at Wolverhampton the night before, the 10-3 favourite waited with all the learned patience of such a beautifully nurtured 5-year-old for the quartet in front to feel the pinch. As that inevitably happened, there followed a few glorious moments as she came to embody her owner-breeder's life's labour in this sphere and Sir Mark Prescott's unique art of equine education and care.
Although the homebred had arrived on the lead with Morris sitting motionless, her last 1.5 furlongs (300 metres) in front were not without tension as Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) chased her hard to the line along with last year's hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). Despite the sterling efforts of the Aga Khan's Jockey Club (French Derby) and Eclipse hero and Auenquelle's German flagship, this was a result already carved into the precious stone that adorns Prescott's storied Heath House stables in Newmarket. At the line, the mare had bridged a surprising 85-year gap to the last of her age and sex to achieve glory in the famed Corrida, denying Vadeni by 0.5l and Torquator Tasso by a further neck.
“It's absolutely marvellous and an enormous relief,” Prescott said. “Luke has ridden for us for 11 years and Miss Rausing has had horses with me for 36, so I'm just very lucky. I trained her grandmother and it's hard to think of a better day. You felt she was always going to win, but it was a relief when she got there. It's a wonderful change to have one that can really go and she has been perfect. The race went like a dream. If it hadn't been my horse, I would have thought it was going to win every inch of the way, but when it's your own of course it's a nightmare. I didn't think all that rain would help, but she's never travelled better and has come on with each race.”
Morris added, “Things went lovely and smooth – I had all the confidence in her and she's not put a foot wrong. She is so versatile and so tough and I couldn't believe how well she was going – I had to take her back two (furlongs, 400 metres) out. She dug very deep for me and was very tough when I needed her. This is the pinnacle of my career – there are not many times when I'm teary-eyed, but I was having to hold back the tears today. Sir Mark's had an unbelievable effect on my career and is an unbelievable trainer and person, so I'm honoured to ride for him. Miss Rausing is a very generous lady with what she's done for the sport and I'm very fortunate.”
Churchill's juvenile dominates the Marcel Boussac
Whilst he narrowly missed out on Arc glory with Vadeni, Coolmore Stud's Churchill (Ire) struck at the highest level earlier in the afternoon when his 2-year-old daughter Blue Rose Cen (Ire) lit up Paris Longchamp in the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, a “Win and You're In” for the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf at Keeneland in November.
Coming off a course-and-distance win in the G3 Prix d'Aumale on September 8, the Christopher Head trainee had the perfect tow in third as Aurelien Lemaitre contained her enthusiasm. Let loose with 300 metres remaining, the homebred surged clear for an emphatic 5l success from Jim Bolger's outsider Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), with Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a short neck away in third.
This was a first Group 1 for Christopher Head and his famous family was around him afterwards. That it came in the year of Freddy's retirement was not lost on his father. “It's a funny thing,” Head, Sr. said. “I'm happy for him. He's the fifth generation and I hope there will be many more successes.”
Christopher, whose filly Tigrais (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) had lost her chance when stumbling exiting the stalls in the opener, commented, “The filly is extraordinary. I'll discuss it with her owners, whether we wait until next year or try the Breeders' Cup. I knew she'd be okay on that ground, as she proved last time she handles soft and I think she can go further – 2000 (metres) will be easy for her. It's quite a surprise, as this was a very good race with all the Europeans.”
Churchill stands at Coolmore Austalia for $22,000 (inc GST) this season, his fifth year shuttling to the Jerrys Plains stud.
Lope De Vega's Place Du Carrousel swoops for Opera triumph
Al Shaqab Racing's Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), off the track since failing to land a blow in Chantilly's June 19 G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), exacted revenge on that Classic's winner, 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), with a late rush to secure a career high in the flickering embers of Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines at Paris Longchamp.
The €260,000 (AU$396,700) Arqana August graduate had earlier annexed Saint-Cloud's April 29 G3 Prix Cleopatre before taking second behind another 'TDN Rising Star', Above The Curve (USA) (American Pharoah {USA}), when contesting the May 29 G1 Prix Saint-Alary over this 10-furlong (2000-metre) course and distance in her penultimate start. With this effort, she punched her ticket to the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mares' Turf at Keeneland in November.
Shuffled back through the pack to race towards the rear after a sharp getaway, the 41-1 outsider responded to pressure from the turn into the straight to go fifth entering the final furlong (200 metres) and pounced inside the final 50 yards to deny Nashwa and Above The Curve by 0.75l and a short head.
It was most certainly a case of right time, right place for Place Du Carrousel and breeder Ballylinch Stud, whose yearling half-sister by Kingman (GB) is due under the hammer as Lot 261 on day two of Tattersalls' upcoming October Book 1 sale.
“André Fabre has done a magnificent job with the filly,” said Al Shaqab's racing manager Rupert Pritchard-Gordon. “He told me that she needed a break after the Prix de Diane as the filly had a hard race that day. He was worried because she hadn't had a prep race beforehand and that's why we went to Compiegne for a public gallop, which did her good. She's a tough filly, she got some good cover during the race and displayed neat powers of acceleration. To see these colours win on Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day is very important.”
Kingman's Kinross takes the Foret
Marc Chan's TDN Rising Star Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) had not always had the rub of the green throughout his career, but it all fell right in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret that closed out Paris Longchamp's top-level action.
Now firmly established at the head of the seven-furlong (1400-metre) division having won the G2 City Of York S. and G2 Park S., the Ralph Beckett-trained 5-year-old had a wide draw to overcome but Frankie Dettori was all for taking a deep breath as the principals committed in the straight. Launched to strike the front passing the furlong pole (200-metre), the 17-10 favourite was comfortable as he registered a commanding 2l success from Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) as the enterprisingly ridden Entscheiden (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) hung tough to repeat his 2021 third, 1l further back.
“I always had huge faith in him and he's had a fantastic year,” Beckett said. “As a 3-year-old, he was already on the very big side and after being gelded he had a difficult time of it but has really come into his own now. He's a really special horse for the stable.”
First blood Fabre on Arc Day as Showcasing's Belbek strikes
André Fabre had only outsiders in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but Sunday's Paris Longchamp fixture's opener was a reminder that the master trainer is still very much in the thick of it as Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) captured the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Upstaged twice since his success in Chantilly's G3 Prix du Bois on June 19, including when fourth behind Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) in that track's G2 Prix Robert Papin on July 17, Nurlan Bizakov's homebred was 18-1 as a result in this “Win and You're In” for the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland next month.
Those odds would have been fitting for any other colt with his race record in this kind of test, but pure logic dictates that where the master of Chantilly is concerned this was a serious miss by the punters. Handed the perfect draft behind the leading trio, the bay had over 1l to make up on Gamestop (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) as that rival looked to have stolen a march approaching the final furlong (200 metres) but Mickael Barzalona had ultimately timed it right with Belbek produced to shade it inside the final 50 metres. At the line, there was a neck between him and the Wertheimers' fellow outsider, with TDN Rising Star Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great {USA}) the same margin behind in third.
Cotai Glory's The Platinum Queen wins the Abbaye
There had been no 5-year-old mare to win the Arc until just after 4 o'clock (local) on Sunday and no juvenile to prevail in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines since 1978, but both droughts are now officially at an end after Middleham Park Racing's The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) made it happen in the Paris Longchamp sprint.
Atoning for a heartbreaking defeat on her beloved Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the preceding G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines, Hollie Doyle made full use of Richard Fahey's dynamo's relentless pace to shake off all pressure and hold White Lavender (Ire) (Heeraat {Ire}) by a short neck, with Coeur De Pierre (Fr) (Zanzibari {USA}) a neck behind in third.
“It was never in doubt really – I thought it was a pretty dominant performance and Hollie said she idled a little bit in the last 100 yards,” Middleham Park Racing's Tom Palin, said of the 7-5 favourite. “It was a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup and being a tight northerner, that's great as it means we don't need to pay the entry fee! As long as the filly comes out of it alright, then I think we'll look forward to going to America if they'll have us.”
United States
Bolt D'Oro colt battles back to take WAYI Pilgrim
Major Dude (USA) (Bolt D’Oro {USA}) gave his freshman sire a second Graded winner on the grass and trainer Todd Pletcher a record fifth G2 Pilgrim S. trophy on Sunday as he stamped his ticket to the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf next month. A debut winner at Monmouth on June 18, the US$550,000 (AU$856,400) Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling could only manage sixth in the G3 Sanford S. on July 16 and was third behind romping stablemate Lost Ark (USA) (Violence {USA}) when stretched to a mile for Monmouth's August 27 Sapling S.
Away well, Major Dude was taken back by hot-handed Irad Ortiz Jr. into the first turn to sit in a joint third behind a pace that seemed hot enough visually over the soft going, running the opening 400 metres in 24.1s. He mounted an outside move to take over at the top of the straight, but was immediately tackled by odds-on Chad Brown pupil I'm Very Busy (USA) (Cloud Computing {USA}). That one seemed to have all the momentum, but Major Dude had the heart and edged away in the shadow of the wire to prevail by daylight.
“First of all, at the half-mile, I think I can go by those horses whenever I want to,” said Ortiz. “I feel like my horse switched off on the backside and saved a lot of energy for the end and I took some time…But finally going to the quarter-pole (400-metre marker), he made the lead, I asked him and he responded really well and moved forward. Then the other horse was beside me and when he felt that, he fought back.”
Bayern colt secures his spot for Juvenile Turf Sprint
Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Speed Boat Beach (USA) (Bayern {USA}), incredibly well rated after his September 10 debut score on the Del Mar dirt over US$3.55-million (AU$5.53-million) stablemate Hejazi (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), took to the turf with aplomb in Sunday's Speakeasy S. (1000 metres) at Santa Anita, earning an automatic berth into the starting gate for the November 4 G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Backed like a lock at 2-5 making a rare dirt-to-turf move for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, the dark bay locked on to even speedier Helladic (USA) (Kantharos {USA}) early after a slightly awkward break, pounced on that one at the top of the straight and inched clear from him by 1.25l, stopping the clock in 55.25s. These same connections took the G2 Zenyatta S. one race earlier with Midnight Memories (USA) (Mastery {USA}), and the G1 Awesome Again S. on Saturday with Defunded (USA) (Dialed In {USA}).
Practical Joke filly prevails in Frizette
Repole Stable's 2-year-old Chocolate Gelato (USA) (Practical Joke {USA}) put in a strong turn run and wore down game pacesetter You're My Girl (USA) (Overanalyze {USA}) to prevail in Sunday's G1 Frizette S. at Belmont at the Big A.
The 8-5 favourite settled for third in her Saratoga opening day unveiling on July 14, but returned a month later to atone and romp by 8.5l. The Todd Pletcher-trained filly stopped the clock in 1:38.57 for the 1600-metre trip over the sloppy dirt surface on Sunday.
