Rio de la Plata just misses out in Prix du Moulin
Fuisse got the better of a three-way finish in the Group One Prix du Moulin at Longchamp.
In the end he beat Rio de la Plata and Siyouni by a head and the same, with Paco Boy in fourth, but only after holding up the start for some time when he dropped jockey Stephane Pasquier twice and got loose.
When the field finally got away Siyouni set only an easy pace, tracked by Rio de la Plata. Richard Hughes sat in third as he held up Paco Boy. But, when the pace picked up in the home straight, Hughes found himself boxed in as he tired for an unavailing run up the rail and it was Fuisse, trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, Fuisse who got the splits as he came from last to first in the last two strides. Paco Boy was one-and-a-half lengths behind, but the real disappointment of the race was Lope de Vega.
André Fabre’s colt, the winner of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club earlier in the season, had finished last in the Prix Jean Prat in his previous and was never in at the business end of this race either.
William Balding, representing Goldolphin, summed up their horse’s performance when he said: "Rio de la Plata ran very well. Everything went according to plan, bar the result.”
There was worse to come for the stable in Germany where Cavalryman could finish only third behind Night Magic in the Group One Grosser Mercedes-Benz Preis Von Baden. Cavalryman, ridden by Frankie Dettori, broke awkwardly from the stalls and raced towards the middle of the course in third of the seven runners.
He came wide into the straight and had every chance before being one-paced in the final furlong, going down by three-and-a-half lengths as Night Magic came with a sweeping run down the outside to beat Quijano. Michael Bell's Allied Powers did not get the run of the race and finished fifth.
Simon Crisford, Godolphin’s racing manager, said: "Cavalryman is running inconsistently this season and today was another inconsistent performance. We’ll take him back home and discuss the way forward because it was a disappointing effort today."
However, there was success for British runners in Turkey. Pressing, trained by Michael Jarvis, won the Group Two International Topkapi Trophy at Veliefendi for the third successive year and James Given’s fine season continued when Indian Days won the Group Two Bosphorus Cup.
Tags: