All the hype and the resulting analysis became moot when George
Washington, in the hands of Mick Kinane, roared past the leaders to win
Europe's premier mile race. The race was run over the round mile. The
winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths. The time was 1 40.06 on a yielding
track. There was a rarely seen act of exultation on the part of O’Brien.
“He grew up after Goodwood. He was doing a canter today. You saw what he
did and how he did it,” O’Brien said.
Eight horses went postward in the Group I extravaganza. It had rained
heavily on Friday in London. Saturday broke with the sun out and you
could not have asked for better weather as the seven-race card got under
way. The racing surface had a little cut. George Washington, the English
2000 Guineas champion at Newmarket in May, opened at 2 to 1 and his odds
shortened to 13-8 at post time. After winning the 2000 Guineas with an
imperious display of speed and stamina, George Washington could not beat
Arrafa in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh under testing
conditions. At the ‘Glorious Goodwood’ meeting, George Washington
carried the public purse and finished a tame third in the Celebration
Mile. Discerning observers were able to grant the colt the benefit of
the doubt for the two losses.
Arrafa was well-beaten in the English 2000 Guineas, turned the tables on
George Washington in the Irish version and went on to win the St James
Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Bet to the exclusion of the others in the
Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, Araafa tracked the leader and lacked a
response when asked for an effort. Christophe Soumillon took the place
of the injured Alan Munro. Arrafa was 8 and 7-1.
Librettist, beaten only once in eight lifetime starts, was seeking his
third consecutive Group I success. He had won the Prix Jacques le Marois
at Longchamp and the Prix du Moulin at Deauville, two French tracks.
Frankie Dettori was the rider. The British pundits belived that
Dettori's mount had beaten much softer fields in those two wins in
France. Librettist was 11-4 and 3-1.
Court Masterpiece, the Sussex Stakes champion, was in the field with
Jamie Spencer. Proclamation the 2005 Sussex Stakes winner, was only
making his second 2006 start and was only 5-1 despite apparent doubts
about his readiness. Ivan Denisovich, River Tiber and Killybegs who had
been runner-up to Court Masterpiece in the 2006 Sussex Stakes, completed
the line up.
River Tiber and Ivan Denisovich set a tepid pace. Librettist lay a`handy
third albeit wide and very wide for the most part. Araafa stay in
striking range. George Washington raced in middivision, not more than 5
lengths away at any point and had a great ground-saving trip. Araafa
moved up to gain control midway through the stretch and Librettist was
giving out distress signals after being bumped and pushed wide coming
into the last turn. Kinane, on George Washington, was looking for a way
out of the pocket. With a furlong left, Kinane found daylight after
switching a lane or two and went in chase of Araafa. It was a brief
tussle and as they approached the wire it was George Washington who had
drawn clear. Court Masterpiece was late on the scene to salvage third.
The race was worth 141,950 pounds (approx. Rs.1.25 crores) to the
winner. George Washington now heads to Churchill Downs at Louisville for
the Breeders' Cup mile. The Breeders' Cup races will be run on Saturday,
November 4, 2006. There are only two Group I events left in the British
racing season, the Sun Chariot and Champion Stakes, coming up in the
following weeks.
A delighted Kinane said, “he was only half-speeding as he passed the
front horses. He’s a very classy horse and he is exceptional. I have
ridden some good ones but none better. He was fresh and broke in the air
in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood. I told Aidan that it will be a
different story at Ascot.”
"We were beaten by a better colt. I am delighted with his performance,"
said Jeremy Noseda. Araafa's trainer. Jamie Spencer, Court Masterpiece's
jockey, stated, "my horse ran very well. He was beaten by two superior
horses."
Frankie Dettori and Librettist finished sixth and Dettori complained to
the stewards that Seamus Heffernan, Ivan Denisovich's rider, had
delibertately interfered with him and effectively ruling him out of the
race by forcing him wide. Dettori's claim of foul play and 'team
tactics' found favor with the judges who suspended Heffernan for 14
days. That was the only silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud for
Dettori. Ten years to the day, Dettori won all seven races and there is
a statue of the famed Italian at Ascot.
Danehill progenies dominated the day at Ascot. Admiralofthefleet, a
Danehill colt, won the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes for O’Brien
and Kinane. Simply Perfect, a Danehill filly, proved the best in the
Group 1 Meon Valley Stud Mile. Darryll Holland was the jockey and the
winning trainer was Jeremy Noseda.
It is now on to Paris for the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc is on Sunday,
October 1, at Longchamp. The forecast is for rain all of next week in
the French capital. It is a two-day meeting at Longchamp on Saturday,
September 30 and Sunday, October 1. On Sunday, there are six Group I
races in the eight-race program. Hurricane Run, Shirocco and Deep
Impact, the Japanese superstar, are at the top of the market for the
Paris showpiece.
