BALLYDOYLE BLITZ
If his past accomplishments were not enough to ensure his legend, Sunday's one-two-three in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe sealed it for Aidan O'Brien as Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) led home Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Chantilly for a racing first which is unlikely to ever be repeated. Sent off at 9-1, last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine who warmed up for this with a second to Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown Sept. 10 enjoyed a perfect trip against the rail in mid-division under Ryan Moore before surging to the lead passing the quarter pole. It was her King George-winning stablemate Highland Reel, a 24-1 shot, who gave the most meaningful chase from there but she was already gone beyond recall and had 1 3/4 lengths to spare at the line. The Gold Cup hero Order of St George, who was 14-1 and like his two companions drawn in double figures, stayed on to be 1 1/2 lengths back in third for a bumper tricast of group 1 winners in a renewal in which the 3-year-olds failed to feature. The 2-1 favourite Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had every chance after being perfectly positioned throughout, but faded late to be fifth. “First, second and third in the Arc is unbelievable–words can't describe it,” Michael Tabor said. “It is unreal. This is the time of year for her and she is a hard, tough filly whose results speak for themself, so we knew we had a chance.” O'Brien added, “I couldn't have even dreamed of it, as you know how hard the Arc is to win. I could never have imagined something like that would happen and it is a great moment. What a result for all the people involved and all three are by Galileo.”
Sunday, Chantilly, France
QATAR PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE-G1, €5,000,000, CHY, 10-2, 3yo/up, c/f, 12fT, 2:23.61 (NTR), gd.
1–FOUND (IRE), 128, f, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Red Evie (Ire) (Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 7-9.5f, Hwt. 3yo Filly-Ire at 7-9f, G1SW-Eng & Ire, $763,111), by Intikhab
2nd Dam: Malafemmena (Ire), by Nordico
3rd Dam: Martinova, by Martinmas (GB)
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Roncon, Wynatt & Chelston (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €2,857,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Filly-Eur, GISW-US, MGSW & MG1SP-Ire, MG1SP-Eng, 19-6-10-2, €6,019,538. *Full to Best in the World (Ire), GSW-Ire, $140,942; and Magical Dream (Ire), GSW-Ire, $118,485. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Highland Reel (Ire), 131, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Hveger (Aus), by Danehill. (460,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Hveger Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €1,143,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Order of St George (Ire), 131, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Another Storm, by Gone West. ($550,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Lloyd J Williams, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Paget Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €571,500.[bullet ad=”blandfordstud-forpagetbloodstock”]Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 9.60, 24.20, 14.50.
Also Ran: Siljan's Saga (Fr), Postponed (Ire), One Foot in Heaven (Ire), New Bay (GB), Savoir Vivre (Ire), Harzand (Ire), Vedevani (Fr), Talismanic (GB), Left Hand (GB), Silverwave (Fr), Makahiki (Jpn), Migwar (Ire), The Grey Gatsby (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Runner-up in nine group 1 contests since her defeat of Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on this day two years ago, TDN Rising Star Found could have been described as one of racing's proverbial bridesmaids were it not for the fact that she has never shirked any battle with any rival over any trip. Her case against any condemnation that usually comes with a string of seconds was also strengthened by the fact that she emerged from a hellish trip when ninth in this race last year to swoop on the Arc hero Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and beat him fairly and squarely in Keeneland's GI Breeders' Cup Turf at the end of month. This term, her defeats could mostly be excused but she had been put in her place by Postponed when 4 1/2-lengths second to him in the June 4 G1 Coronation Cup and he remained Europe's dominant force over middle distances. Found's form showed a marked upswing last time as she gave Almanzor a fight at Leopardstown and as autumn took its grip she was coming into her own while Postponed had been absent since his summer exploits.
With the Ballydoyle trio all drawn high, Moore opted to drop in on Found as Order of St George went wide under Frankie Dettori to eventually cross over in his own time and gain second behind His Highness The Aga Khan's pacemaker Vedevani (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). By the time they reached the famed chateau, a tactical masterclass was in operation with Found asked to use her early pace to get up behind the prominently-ridden The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in sixth with Highland Reel immediately ahead on her left and Order of St George leading the pair. As Postponed failed to produce his usual surge turning out of the back straight, the race was already in safe keeping with nothing else possessing the kind of acceleration of Found who was sent through a slender gap between Order of St George and Postponed. Once Vedevani was subdued with 350 metres left, the filly was left to a lone victory parade as she smashed the track record which dated back to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club of 1986 when it was still staged over this trip and won by Bering (GB). Highland Reel showed the kind of class that won him Ascot's midsummer highlight as he gained clear second, while Order of St George demonstrated the staying power that quashed the stayers at the Royal meeting. The latter emerges with much credit, as he had to do more racing than most from the break to gain his prominent position and he was also stopped momentarily by the back-pedalling Vedevani inside the last quarter mile.
Aidan O'Brien was unable to pinpoint Found's next target as he reflected on the momentous result. “Each of the horses have their qualities, but this filly is very special. She is brave and tough and you can see from her record that she never lets us down. I did say before the race that I had it in mind to run in the [G1 British Champions] Fillies & Mares Turf or [G1 British] Champion S. [at Ascot Oct. 15], but we'll see how she comes out of this. The Breeders' Cup is also a possibility. She's only run over a mile and a half four times before and she was unlucky in the Arc last year. Epsom [in the Coronation Cup] was also a falsely-run mile and a half and we came here very hopeful after a good run last time. We've had our eye on this for a long time. When Ryan rode her as a two-year-old and said she could win an Arc–he was obviously right. It's a great feeling to saddle the first three home in an Arc and there's not much to beat it, but it's all down to a fantastic team effort and I'm delighted for John [Magnier], Michael [Tabor], Derrick [Smith] and their families.”
Postponed did not appear to have an in-running excuse, but trainer Roger Varian was obviously disappointed and said, “Andrea [Atzeni] said he felt great going to the post, but after breaking well he was trapped three wide early on and couldn't get in. It meant he met the big bend on the wrong lead and then he didn't quicken up like he can. It's a feeling of disappointment as we went in hoping we would win, but the main thing is we still have a horse to go to war with and we can take him home and see how he comes out of it.” Last year's third New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was seventh this time and Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented, “He didn't break well and was a little bit far back before slipping on the bend. He has come back with some cuts, but was not good enough on the day.” The 3-year-olds fared badly in a race in which weight-for-age always favours them, with the G1 English and Irish Derby hero Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) plugging on into ninth and the 4-1 shot Makahiki (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) trailing in 14th. Christophe Patrice-Lemaire said of the G2 Prix Niel and G1 Tokyo Yushun winner, “He did too much too early in the race and was finished quickly. That was not him–he hasn't run his race.”
Found has finally eclipsed the admirable record of her similarly tough dam Red Evie, who captured the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Matron S. for the Michael Bell stable. Her record as a broodmare was already impressive aside from Found, with the G3 CL Weld Park S. winner Magical Dream (Ire) and this year's G3 Give Thanks S. winners Best In the World (Ire) resulting from matings with Galileo. Red Evie's dam is the listed-winning and G3 Prix du Calvados third Malafemmena, who is kin to the G3 Prix du Bois and G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner Export Price (Fr) (Habitat) with their respective dam Martinova having won the G3 Athasi S. and been third in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Red Evie has a yearling colt and filly foal to come from Galileo, who continues to write his own remarkable story with this incomparable result.
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