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Interestingly punters who had backed Sariska with certain bookmaking firms such as Boylesports, Paddy Power and Sky Bet will get the amount of their wager refunded! Trainer Michael Bell said of Sariska: "It is obviously very worrying but I can't say yet what we are going to do because we are in a state of shock at the moment." Meanwhile Cecil volunteered, "I wouldn’t think she will run against colts in the Arc but that’s up to the Prince......I would rather run her against her own sex." It was refreshing to hear the runner-up's trainer, Ed Dunlop, say, "We have been beaten by an exceptional winner." In India, some trainers of beaten performers have a habit of trotting out lame excuses!
Only once – when Hittite Glory took home the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster in 1975 – has a 100-1 shot won a Group 1 race in England. That number doubled when the unexpected Sole Power (Kyllachy - Demerger, by Distant View), emerged from nowhere under Willie Lordan's driving to score in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (5 fur.) on August 20th at York.
As a matter of interest, both his sire (in 2002) and grandsire (Pivotal, in 1997) had inscribed their names in the roll-call of winners of this prestigious sprint, so it could not be said that Sole Power was not bred for the job. Yet his recent form, which included no wins on the turf and only two on the All-Weather at Dundalk in Ireland, gave no indication that Eddie Lynam's ward could be catapulted to stardom in this manner. Amongst his scalps were Coolmore's new hope, the Australian-bred Starspangledbanner (by Choisir), who finished second, Equiano (by Acclamation), who never got into the race and ended last, and previous dual hero of the race, Borderlescott (by Compton Place).It's unlikely that any of the previous winners of the historic 1200 m. Darley Prix Morny (Group 1) for two-year-olds, named for the founder of Deauville Racecourse, Charles Auguste Louis, Duc de Morny, and first run at that French track in 1865, happened to have been coming off a win in a Nottingham maiden. That hitherto untested route was taken by British trainer David Simcock with his 9-length debut winner Dream Ahead (Diktat – Land Of Dreams by Cadeaux Genereux) and he was rewarded with his first-ever Group 1 triumph on August 22nd.
Rider William Buick renewed his association with the colt but had to jet in from Chicago, where he steered the winner of the 28th Arlington Million a mere 15 hours earlier, to be able to do so. Simcock added, "We'll think about the Middle Park (on October 1st) and then the Dewhurst (on October 16th) after that." The speedy colt, who is from the family of noted sprinter Vaigly Great, was acquired for owner Khalifa Dasmal by Blandford Bloodstock, costing just £36,000 at the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales of two-year-olds April this year. The Richard Hannon-trained favourite, Libranno (by Librettist) disappointed and faded to end sixth with a subpar effort.
Thirty-five minutes later, eight older fillies and mares lined up for the 2000 m. Darley Prix Jean Romanet (Group 1) on the same track. Stacelita (Monsun – Soignee, by Dashing Blade) was odds-on to record a fourth victory at this level. Although the slow pace did not suit her, she displayed commendable resolution under Christophe Soumillon to fend off Godolphin's Antara (by Platini), who kept her honest all the way to the line.
This brought Jean-Claude Rouget's charge an eighth lifetime success (from just 11 public appearances). He said, "The whole objective this season was to win a Group 1 with her as a four-year-old. It was a bit of a risk running her three weeks after Goodwood and you'll see her again in another Group race, probably the E.P. Taylor Stakes in Canada, then Hong Kong."
North America
Trainer Michael Bell, so downcast after Sariska's failure, had somewhat better luck across the Atlantic when his Wigmore Hall (by High Chapparal) jumped up from handicap company to run second to the US turf star, Paddy O'Prado (El Prado – Fun House, by Prized) in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes for 3-y-os on turf at Arlington Park on August 21st.
In a slow-run affair, in which the six runners took 2:04.71 to complete the 10-furlong trip, Paddy O'Prado accelerated around the pacemaker Cherokee Lord, who set a funereal pace, to land the rich prize. Wigmore Hall came up from fifth, sneaked between horses and ran on well to finish second, beaten just over a length. Workin For Hops (by City Zip) was third.
Forty-seven minutes later came the Gr.1 Beverly D. Stakes (9.5 fur.) for females, named after the late wife of Arlington Park's chairman, Richard Duchossois. Rainbow View (by Dynaformer) came up with a tendon injury and was withdrawn, leaving 9 to face the starter, all of which were quoted at 9 to 1 or less, barring rank outsider Biased, in an open-looking affair.
A number of the runners were in contention at the top of the straight but it was the German-bred Eclair De Lune (Marchand de Sable – Elegante, by Acatenango), under some strong driving from Junior Alvarado, who gradually pulled clear to post the victory. California-based turf specialist Ron McAnally schools the 4-y-o filly, who has been spending her time of late viewing the tail of the ill-fated Tuscan Evening. Interestingly, the filly races for 88-year-old Mr. Duchossois, who observed, "I would rather win this race than the Kentucky Derby......It means more to me."
That set the stage for the afternoon's feature, the 28th running of the Arlington Million (Gr.1; 10 fur.), also on turf.
The great John Henry (by Ole Bob Bowers) is the only horse to have won two Millions – and his wins in 1981 and 1984 came three years apart. Close home in this year's renewal, it seemed for a long while that last year's champion turf horse in North America, Gio Ponti (by Tale Of The Cat), was about to repeat in consecutive years, he having taken the lead at the top of the lane with a six-wide move. And then suddenly one could see the good-looking English challenger Debussy (Diesis – Opera Comique, by Singspiel) sneaking his way through at the rails so rapidly that he stunned last year's winner. Possibly Gio Ponti and his pilot Ramon Dominguez, motoring up the centre of the track, did not see Debussy coming and could not react in time. The verdict was just half-a-length. Trainer John Gosden admitted he had been trying to win the race since its inception – this was his first Million win from eight attempts. Young William Buick waited for an opening along the rails and when he finally got one, gave it his best effort and was pleased when his mount responded and did the trick, while also giving him his first win in North America.
“He rides cleverly,” said Gosden about Buick. “He doesn’t panic in a race. He didn’t panic today.” Owned by Sheikh Mohammed's wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, the four-year-old Debussy won for the first time at Gr.1 level – last July he had won the Gr.2 Prix Eugene Adam in France. Two lengths behind Gio Ponti came the winner's stablemate, Tazeez (by Silver Hawk), who according to Gosden, "regularly beats the other horse at home”.
While the Arlington summer festival garnered the most attention, there was another top contest taking place at Saratoga the same afternoon, in the 10 fur. Gr.1 Betfair TVG Alabama Stakes. As mentioned in these columns, the two contenders for champion 3-y-o filly in the USA are Devil May Care and Blind Luck. The pair hooked up here for that defining event and the honours went to second choice Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision - Lucky One, by Best Of Luck), as fancied Devil May Care once again found ten furlongs just too far.
Sitting last for most of the race, Blind Luck got going late under Joel Rosario and the California challenger collared Havre de Grace (by Saint Liam) by a neck, with Acting Happy (by Empire Maker) holding on for third, a further 1-3/4 lengths in arrears. Devil May Care looked extremely dangerous while rounding the turn but her effort petered out in the manner of one who did not quite see out the trip. Back in May she had similarly failed to see out the Kentucky Derby trip.
Her rider Johnny Velasquez had mixed feelings about the afternoon – he rode 5 winners but missed the piece de resistance. “Perfect position, she just didn’t come with a run,” said Velazquez. Blind Luck, owned by Mark Dedomenico, John Carver and Peter Abruzzo, took 2:03.89 to essay the trip. Her trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer said she would return to Southern California in the next few days but may again venture East for the $750,000-added Cotillion Stakes at Philadelphia Park on October 2nd. The race is also said to be Devil May Care's next target and given that it is over a furlong less, there may be another swing in the saga.
PS: Back on 23rd July this columnist had commented "The Rancho Bernardo (Gr.3) at Del Mar next month has been pencilled in as a tentative target (for Sweet August Moon). One is tempted to think the moon will continue to wax just as sweetly in August!" A few minutes ago, trainer Brian Koriner's filly Sweet August Moon pulled away from Alpha Kitten in that very race, after a sustained battle in the closing stages, to win by three-parts of a length. It's nice to be proved right occasionally!
