THE ROAD TO THE BLUE RIBAND

Watch Ruler Of The World winning the Chester Vase
(Image : The Times - Footage : Almaged KSA)

“Have you ever been to Chester?”

Mick Goss Summerhill CEOThe racecourse is one of those follies that sprang from England’s most creative period, shaped from the bowl of an ancient Roman harbour with an intimacy from its one mile round course that is matched only by the Champs de Mars in Port Louis. And as only the British would, on race days the contestants march ceremoniously through the heart of the city to what the early Britons christened the “Roodeye”. My grandfather always said: “If you’ve never raced at Chester, you’ve never raced at all,” and that’s probably true of what all English fans would say. At this time of the year, Chester holds two of England’s time-honoured Derby trials, the Chester Vase and the Dee Stakes, the former arguably the more successful in the deliverance of Derby aces, though South Africans will remember that it was his victory in the Dee Stakes that secured former Champion sire, Royal Prerogative’s passage to Cape Town.

Among the Vase’s celebrities of the modern era are Henbit, who went on to a six length end-to-end triumph in the “big one”, and Shergar, the Aga Khan’s ill-fated champion who remains to this day Epsom’s favourite son. In 1989, Old Vic waltzed off with the Vase, and followed up with stunning victories in the French and Irish equivalents. Summerhill has its own recent connection with the event in the race’s imperious winner of its 103^rd renewal, Golden Sword, who subsequently chased the world champion Sea The Stars to just over two lengths in the Investec version of the Derby.

While he’s not quite what his name suggests yet, Ruler Of The World was this week’s hero of the Vase. It is so, that he has taken longer than his illustrious half-brother, Duke Of Marmalade, to create an impact on the track, but on this occasion he looked as if he was ready to make up for lost time, with a power-packed display. Remember, the race is staged within the narrow circumference of an old sailing boat harbour, so the straight is less than 300m, which meant our hero had to conserve his jet fuel ‘til they’d straightened. In a matter of strides he hit top gear, and drew clear for an emphatic fourth win for Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard in the past six years. In the saddle, Ryan Moore mentioned he was still a bit green, but once he got a hold of the horse, he lengthened really well. Part-owner, Paul Smith, added: “Aidan thinks quite a lot of him. He’s been working well at home, but we thought he might still be a little babyish. I think with the tight-turning track and the crowd, it was a good choice, and it paid dividends.”

This colt, who hails from the illustrious family of A.P. Indy, Lemon Drop Kid and Al Mufti, is now two for two, and who knows, his name may yet prove prophetic.

THE ARC : A POST-MORTEM

Solemia wins the 2012 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe from Orfevre
(Photo : Irish Times)

QATAR PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE (Group 1)
Longchamp, Turf, 2400m
7 October 2012

All sorts of statements have followed in the wake of Sunday’s shock outcome to Europe’s most famous horserace, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1). Some of them have to do with breeding, others with talents, and others with the preservation of value, but they all point to the intricacies that keep us bewitched with the sport.

Firstly, the race was an acknowledgement of the value of old fashioned private breeding programmes, and it is something of a lament that so many of these great entities have rather quickly disappeared as features of the international breeding scene. For centuries past, the sport of racing was a contest between men and women whose primary interest lay in victory, not in the commercial spoils of their enterprises. Within the last century, we recall the names of Lord Derby and the “first” Aga Khan, the Frenchman Boussac, the Italian Tesio, the Americans Phipps, Hancock and Calumet Farm, and South Africa’s Oppenheimers and the Ellises of our own Hartford. Latterly though, the cost of maintaining these establishments has made fossils of the bulk of them, and there are now just a handful around the world who still have the luxury of maintaining their operations. In France there are just two major private breeding operations left, one belonging to the art magnates, the Wildensteins, and the other the Wertheimers, who’ve made their dough with Chanel.

Sunday’s Arc winner, Solemia is a salute to the Wertheimer’s perseverance, coming as she does from a family they’ve kept the faith with since the 50s, and whose real eminence came initially in the form of the French 2000 Guineas hero, Green Dancer, a successful sire first in France and then inevitably for those days, at Gainesway Farm in the United States. This family bowed not once on Sunday, but twice, as the same female line produced the heroine of the Two-Year-Old fillies Group One, the Prix Marcel Boussac in the form of Silasol. Solemia is one of six Stakes winners of her “Blue Hen” mother, the Shirley Heights mare, Brooklyn’s Dance, who in turn is the grandmother of the juvenile ace. It is also the family that gave us the excellent English Derby winner, Authorized, who has a very attractive filly in next month’s Emperors Palace Ready to Run Sale.

As for the Arc itself, the big disappointment was obviously Camelot, who had appeared earlier in the year to be the only horse with any pretence at rivalling the great Frankel, if only their aptitudes would slot into the same kilometre. He was unbeaten until his failed attempt at becoming Britain’s first Triple Crown winner in 42 years, and now he’s flopped in the Arc, inexplicably for a horse whose forte’ was his “juice” in the closing stages of a race. He was beautifully poised just off the pace as they turned for home, but when Frankie Dettori pressed the button, he simply came up empty. That hasn’t deterred his trainer, Aidan O’Brien, who insists he remains ‘the best horse he’s ever trained’, and that’s saying something when they include Galileo, Giant’s Causeway, Henrythenavigator, Dylan Thomas, Duke Of Marmalade and Rip Van Winkel. Let’s not forget though: it even happened to Nijinsky, who after winning the Triple Crown, collapsed in the Arc and again in the Champion Stakes.

But there was another horse in the race whose performance suggested he was something special, and that was the Japanese-bred and owned Orfevre, like our own Admire Main, a descendant of Sunday Silence. There was no lack of gas when he put his head down in the straight, obliterating the best Europe could offer in a matter of strides. In the event, he was caught in the last 50 metres, but that didn’t discourage his champion rider, Christophe Soumillion, from proclaiming him “the best horse I’ve ever ridden. Once I had the lead, no-one could’ve imagined we’d be beaten. The horses overconfidence defeated him and 50 metres from the line, I saw I’d have difficulty getting him going again. I hope he will run against Frankel in the Champion Stakes or else in the Japan Cup”. Brave words, but you can’t take them lightly, because Soumillion has thrown his leg over a few in his time.

THE FRANKIE FACTOR - 16:25 TODAY!

Frankie Dettori and Camelot
(Image : Stan James/Telegraph)

QATAR PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE (Group 1)
Longchamp, Turf, 2400m
7 October 2012

There was a sense of inevitability when Frankie Dettori was handed the spare ride of the season on Camelot (GB) (Montjeu), and a flying dismount after today’s G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe would be a dream end to an unusually average year for the famed Italian.

The record of the 3-year-old generation in this Longchamp feature speaks for itself, and G1 Epsom Derby winners to have come here and triumphed in recent times include Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge), Sea the Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross) and Workforce (GB) (King’s Best), while Frankie’s first of his three Arcs came on the ‘Blue Riband’ winner Lammtarra (USA) (Nijinsky) 17 years ago. If he is able to guide Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor’s talented and much-vaunted colt to the post first, he will also equal the joint-record of four winning rides held by Jacques Doyasbere, Freddy Head, Yves Saint-Martin and Pat Eddery.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien was unequivocal in his praise for the rider at Dundalk on Friday evening. “We’re delighted to have got a great rider like Frankie - as everybody knows, he has all the experience in the world,” O’Brien said.

www.prixarcdetriomphe.com

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

DETTORI TO PILOT CAMELOT IN PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE

Frankie Dettori
(Photo : StanJames.com)

PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE (Group 1)
Longchamp, Turf, 2400m
7 October 2012

With regular partner Joseph O’Brien unable to make the 123-pound weight allocated to Camelot (GB) (Montjeu) in Sunday’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Frankie Dettori will take his 25th consecutive ride in Europe’s end-of-season championship aboard the G1 2000 Guineas, G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby hero, trainer Aidan O’Brien confirmed via Twitter Wednesday.

O’Brien junior will instead ride St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu), who is set to carry 131 pounds in the €4million event. “It’s a shame Godolphin don’t have a horse in the race, but I’m ready and looking forward to it,” said Dettori. “I was standing by for Snow Fairy as Ryan Moore seemed set to ride Sea Moon, and what has happened in the last two or three days has been unbelievable. Snow Fairy was injured, Nathaniel is out and Joseph can’t do the weight on Camelot so the ride became available. It’s an honor for me to ride the horse. Let’s hope he’s in tip-top shape as he’s had a pretty long season, but if the Camelot we know turns up he should have a very good chance. I think you want to judge the horse more on the Guineas and Derby runs. In the Leger he was ridden to stay and it was a stop-start kind of pace early on and I still think he quickened really well in the end. He’s better judged on his two previous wins which were pretty impressive. The horse looks to be tremendously well balanced, he came home on his own in the Derby. He spreadeagled the field and looked mightily impressive. Coming back to a mile-and-a-half at Longchamp will be his absolute cup of tea. It looks like there’s going to be two or three pacemakers, the race will be run at a very high tempo and, if that is the case, it doesn’t really matter where I sit. I haven’t spoken to Aidan yet, a low draw is key, but we’re not going to change his pattern of racing. I’m sure Aidan will come out with a plan and we’ll hope for the best on Sunday.”

Following the enforced absence of Nathaniel (Ire) (Galileo), Ballydoyle’s Imperial Monarch (Ire) (Galileo), who may instead point to the GI Canadian International at Woodbine, was the only other withdrawal as the field was reduced to 16 in advance of Thursday’s €100,000 supplementary stage. Possible additions to Sunday’s line-up include the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club winner Saonois (Fr) (Chichicastenango), Lady Rothschild’s G1 Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens (GB) (Galileo) and His Highness The Aga Khan’s GI Secretariat Stakes victor Bayrir (Fr) (Medicean).

www.prixarcdetriomphe.com

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

ENCKE ROBS CAMELOT OF TRIPLE CROWN GLORY

Click above to watch Encke defeating Camelot in the St Leger Stakes (Gr1)
(Photo : Daily Mail - Footage : Shalakhani)

LADBROKES ST LEGER STAKES (Gr1)
Doncaster, Turf, 2937m
15 September 2012

History waited on him, but was ultimately disappointed as Camelot (GB) (Montjeu) failed in his Triple Crown bid in yesterday’s G1 Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes won by Godolphin’s outsider Encke (Kingmambo). Ballydoyle’s class act brought mass appeal to Doncaster’s Town Moor and the sell-out crowds left largely deflated, as Camelot tried in vain to reel in the 25-1 winner and Mickael Barzalona in the final yards.

With the defeat, Aidan O’Brien missed out on becoming the first trainer to win all five British Classics in the same season. The Irishman remained philosophical after the Wise Dan at Saratoga Adam Coglianese event. “He ran a great race, but just got beat,” O’Brien said. “It’s disappointing for everybody, but that’s racing. It wasn’t what we thought it was going to be - it was a steadily run race and he just stayed on rather than quickened.”

Encke arrived at Doncaster with one of the lowest profiles of all of Godolphin’s past St Leger heroes, having won a 10-furlong handicap by a half length at Sandown off an official handicap mark over 30 pounds below Camelot’s only three starts ago July 6. Beaten a nose by Frankel’s brother Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo) on his belated first pattern-race appearance in the G3 Gordon Stakes over 12 furlongs at Goodwood July 31, the bay was third behind Thought Worthy (Dynaformer) and Main Sequence (Aldebaran) in a renewal of the G2 Great Voltigeur that was effectively a meander-and- sprint affair.

Ranked here as the Gosden pacemaker, Dartford (Giant’s Causeway) failed to set the fast fractions expected, Encke appeared to be traveling as well as Camelot, who had steadily crept between rivals from rear inside the final three furlongs.

Whereas Joseph O’Brien took a moment to gather the favorite at the quarter pole, Barzalona seized the day and Camelot’s rider quickly went from ice-cool to panic as his mount failed to pick up instantly. Encke was in the clear by the time Camelot found top stride and the nine slaps with O’Brien’s whip were not enough to bring out the familiar pizzazz of the previously unbeaten colt.

This was a sixth St Leger victory for Godolphin, which places Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s operation joint-second on the all-time list.

“This horse would rank with the very best of our winners - it was a great effort,” Racing Manager Simon Crisford commented. “Mickael rode a beautiful race and when he kicked at the two pole, he put the race to bed.”

Winning trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni revealed afterwards that he had little faith in Encke’s Classic bid. “He ran a good race in the Voltigeur, but I thought that was him and he was no more than that,” he explained. “I thought he had no chance today and told Mickael to save him and try and be placed, but he’s tough and kept going. In fairness to Mickael, he has always liked him and told me he had the class.”

Crisford added, “We put a line through his run at York and Mahmood had been very happy with his work in the build-up to the Leger and Sheikh Mohammed gave the green light to run him. We weren’t sure about his stamina going into the race, but he’s quite stoutly bred, so we thought it wouldn’t be a problem. What we loved about that race was the turn of foot he showed, which stands him in good stead for next season and he will stay in training. I would imagine it’s very unlikely he’ll run in the Arc, but we will see what Sheikh Mohammed wants to do. I would imagine he will have a plan geared around next summer. This is one of the great races of the British calendar and we have been very lucky to win it six times. We went into the race thinking we probably wouldn’t beat the favorite, but definitely fancying a piece of the pie and Mickael gelled really well with him today as we told him to keep an eye on the pacemaker and ride accordingly.”

Camelot’s trainer Aidan O’Brien was dealing with the fall-out of the shock, which brought to an end the dream of the Triple Crown John Magnier had described as a “no-brainer” to chase minutes before the race. “I thought the pace was going to be strong and I should have run a pacemaker or two,” O’Brien explained. “He was where I would have wanted him to be and he had to relax him going this distance, but he just tanked a bit early and had to take his time down the straight. He didn’t quicken like he did in the Guineas and Derby, but that was liable to happen as he was going a bit further than his distance.” As for what is next for Camelot, O’Brien added, “The thing that was going on in my head was that, if he was staying in training next year, he wouldn’t run any more this season, but the lads will make that decision.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News