Midday wins Prix Vermeille as Sariska stalls again
Arc trials day at Longchamp provided mixed results in terms of potential winners for the main event in three weeks’ time.
Midday made it a fourth Group One winner of the season for her trainer, Henry Cecil, when she won the Prix Vermeille but it was the end of the line for Sariska. Michael Bell’s filly was on a retrieval mission, after refusing to race in the Yorkshire Oaks last month.
Having been tried from starting stalls since there was every hope that last year’s Oaks winner would consent to take part this time but, once again, she remained rooted to the spot when the stalls opened, despite the urgings of Jamie Spencer and Bell announced her retirement from racing soon after the race.
Ashiyla, acting as pacemaker for Sarafina, set the gallop from Plumania and Lady's Purse and led into the straight, where Tom Queally committed early while Christophe Lemaire was still some way off the pace on Sarafina. It could be argued that Queally’s astute tactical move won the race – as Midday beat Plumania by three-quarters of a length with Sarafina another half-length away in third – but Sarafina was not making ground up quickly enough to suggest that she might reverse the form on another day.
The chances of the pair meeting again is remote as Cecil is planning to run Midday in America next when she attempts to defend her title in the Grade One Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, run at Churchill Downs on November 5th.
Sarafina’s owner, the Aga Khan, has won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe four times and the hopes of a fifth victory rest more with Behkabad who left it late to win the Group Two Prix Niel. This time Lemaire got it spot-on with Behkabad who was taking Planteur, whom he had beaten in the Grand Prix de Paris over course and distance in July.
Lemaire had one anxious moment just before the home straight when he appeared to be trapped on the rail in third as Planteur took the lead from his pacemaker, Vivre Libre. Behkabad took a little time to get into full stride but eventually got up to win by a head, with four lengths clear of Kidnapping. The Aga Khan said that both Sarafina and Behkabad would run in the Arc.
The partnership between John Gosden and William Buick had another significant winner when Duncan completed a memorable weekend with victory in the Group Two Prix Foy. Twenty-four hours after Arctic Cosmos had won the St Leger – and is now likely to run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf – Buick delivered a mature front-running ride on Duncan.
Buick controlled the race from the lead but his chances were aided because the favourite, Byword, clearly failed to stay as Duncan – who had not won in his previous six starts – battled well when initially headed by Timos and held of the challenge of Nakayama Festa by three-quarters of a length.
Duncan will be given his chance in the Arc and another one who will be loaded on the plane for Longchamp next month is Swiss Diva, whom David Elsworth will be aiming at the Prix de l’Abbaye she ran out a two-length winner of the Group Three Prix du Petit Couvert.
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