Roderic O'Connor wins Criterium International for Aidan O’Brien
Frankel’s position as the leading two-year-old in Europe when Roderic O’Connor won the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt had been beaten two-and-a-quarter lengths by Frankel when he finished second in the Dewhurst Stakes two weeks ago and he franked that form if in a somewhat wayward fashion.
Drawn widest of all, in stall 10, Johnny Murtagh wasted no time in getting his horse into a prominent position before the turn on Saint-Cloud’s round mile course as Private Jet and Rerouted disputed the early running.
Godlophin were represented by the unbeaten French Navy, trained by André Fabre, but Maxime Guyon was having a struggle to get the colt to settle and then found himself shuffled back through the field by halfway. By comparison Murtagh got a dream run into the home straight as Roderic O’Connor took up the running.
However, he had a bit of a problem when it came to running in a straight line. As the rest of the field kept towards the middle of the track, Aidan O’Brien’s colt suddenly veered right, losing momentum. This allowed Sato to almost get on terms inside the final furlong but Murtagh managed to galvanise Roderic O’Connor enough to win by one-and-a-half lengths.
Of the British-trained runners Rerouted, trained by Barry Hills, was just edged out for third while the Clive Brittain-trained Abjer finished last.
If Paul Hanagan ends up winning his battle with Richard Hughes for the jockeys’ championship by a single winner he will have earned his title the hard way after the victory of Herostatus at Lingfield.
Hanagan began the day four in front but Hughes, who had ridden 14 winners in the previous 14 days, cut the deficit again when Whiplash Willie won the opening race on the card. But Hangan then replied with a tenacious ride on Herostatus in the fifth race.
Mark Johnston’s motto, which appears on his horseboxes, is “Always trying” but Herostatus seemed more intent on trying not to win the one-mile-five-furlong handicap. Hanagan took up the running with a circuit to run but then Herostatus decided that he was not so keen after all as he almost downed tools on Hanagan with a half-mile to run.
Hanagan managed to get Herostatus to lead again from Beggar’s Opera on the home turn but then he lurched violently right just before the furlong pole, slightly crossing Beggar’s Opera. Hughes, riding Encircled, saw his chance and tried to challenge until his horse’s stamina betrayed him and Hanagan kept Herostatus going to the line.
The next race had the jockeys locked in a duel to the line that was worthy of a more high-profile stage than an anonymous all-weather meeting on a Sunday, but that illustrates perfectly what the title is all about – the jockey who performs at all meetings.
Hughes got first run on Aurora Sky but Hanagan then drove Bahamian Music upsides with a half-furlong left only to be beaten a short-head as Hughes raised a clenched fist passing the line.
Rarely can so small a race have meant so much to the Irishman.
The action now moves on to Wolverhampton on Monday where both jockeys have seven rides on the card.
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