Arctic Cosmos reaches stars in St Leger
William Buick capped his first season as stable jockey to John Gosden when Arctic Cosmos won the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.
The St Leger brought together an eclectic mix in its field of 10 runners. From the powerhouses of Flat racing there was Rewilding, the hope from Godolphin of a sixth winner of the race, and the Aidan O’Brien yard sent over Midas Touch and Joshua Tree, who had finished second and third behind Rewilding in the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last month.
At the other end of the scale came Dandino, trained by James Given in the sleepy Lincolnshire village of Willoughton and owned by the massed battalions of the Elite Racing syndicate, and Theology running in the colours of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, who were hoping for yet another major prize to add this year’s list that had already surpassed all previous seasons.
On the 25th anniversary of Oh So Sharp winning the St Leger and with it the fillies’ Triple Crown, Snow Fairy was attempting to win her third Classic of the season, having already won the Oaks and Irish Oaks, 18 years after the last filly to won the race, User Friendly.
Corsica, trained by Mark Johnston, was running as a pacemaker for Rewilding and had the field on the stretch from early on. Joe Fanning kept applying the pressure with Ted Spread, Total Command and Midas Touch closest. The leader was five lengths clear with a mile to run as Frankie Dettori sat in rear on Rewiliding as Corsica took the field into the home straight, heading down the middle of the track. Midas Touch and Arctic Cosmos came out of the pack as the pair arrived either side of the leader with two furlongs to run.
John Gosden had fitted Arctic Cosmos with blinkers because he wanted the horse to concentrate more in his race but William Buick was fully focussed on the job in hand and launched the colt into the lead as the trio hit the furlong pole. Buick pulled his whip through, just to make sure that the horse knew he meant business, but the penny had already dropped as Arctic Cosmos came one-and-three-quarter lengths clear of Midas Touch, who got the better of Corsica by a nose for second.
Snow Fairy did not really see out the trip but she battled on bravely for fourth but Rewilding, the favourite, was a major disappointment, with Frankie Dettori reporting that he was in trouble over a mile out, who finished sixth. Dettori said: "I couldn’t bridge the gap early on. I thought I would just wait till I got up the straight and ask him again but he was on his knees. I was never at the races. He ran flat - I was beaten at Rose Hill so he underperformed for whatever reason."
Gosden, who was winning the race for the third time, had taken a patient approach with Arctic Cosmos. The colt was winning an all-weather handicap at Kempton as recently as June and his runs in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, where he was second and third, had been part of the seasoning process that was brought to fruition with this victory.
“We put blinkers on just to help him focus, if you watch his run at Goodwood he just dropped himself out a bit,” Gosden explained. “He’s Breeders’ Cup eligible and we might think about dropping him back to a mile-and-a-half for the Turf at Churchill Downs now. Conduit did both and William thinks he can step back in trip no problem. Beforehand we had been thinking of the Prix Royal Oak but I’m thinking the other way now.
“He’s the most beautiful horse by an unfashionable sire [North Light], who might be more fashionable now - I have a lovely filly by the sire at home as well.”
When Gosden appointed Buick as his stable jockey in January there were some who wondered whether the 22-year-old was quite ready for such an elevation but Gosden was sure that he was ready. “William’s a very talented young man with great balance. Two great jockeys - Frankie Dettori and another person I won’t name - told me this was the rising star in the weighing room. He’d never ridden for me or even ridden out when he came to me. We need young people like him to come through and William’s been nothing but a delight to work with.
“He’s very level and I told him to keep it steady on the PR front, there is so much celebrity froth about now. He’s just starting out in his career and he’s got to build on it now.”
Despite his calm exterior Buick could not conceal his joy at his first Classic winner. “It is unbelievable - this is the victory we needed. We have had a good first season together and I am really enjoying it. We rode Goodwood like a trial with Arctic Cosmos - it wasn’t going to be a be-all, end-all race. The horse gave me a lot of confidence. Today he had blinkers on and the race panned out perfectly. I was always going to win except if Nijinsky came from behind.”
Ed Dunlop is now considering dropping Snow Fairy back to 10 furlongs against her own s*x at Longchamp in three weeks’ time. “She ran a great race and was probably about the last horse to come off the bridle - she just didn’t stay. Two out she was cruising. We may go to the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp on Arc weekend. It means dropping back half a mile in trip but the way she travelled in the race today was fantastic until her stamina ran out. All credit to the winner, it was a great performance, but I’m pleased with our filly, she ran a good race.”
One plan that will have to wait is that of Robin Geffen. The founder of the multi-billion Neptune Investment Management business owns Arctic Cosmos in partnership with Gosden’s wife, Rachel Hood, and had suggested that the horse may go jumping. “I think he’s shown us today that he’s earned the right to stay on the Flat next year,” he said, adding “but, when I close my eyes, I see him coming up the hill in the Champion Hurdle.”
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