Wootton Bassett priceless in Jean-Luc Lagardere
Paul Hanagan has had a season that he can look back on with pride. He has made the breakthrough into the top flight of jockeys.
Now he has a horse to look forward to for next season as Wootton Bassett won the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp.
Richard Fahey had never made any secret of his belief that Wootton Bassett had all the potential to be the best horse that he has trained. But Fahey resisted the temptation to put that belief to the ultimate test as the colt won four races at a lower level. Two of those came in valuable sales races at York and Doncaster but now Fahey was ready to pitch his horse in at the deep end and Wootton Bassett took to it like a natural.
As ever he was a little keen at the start but Hanagan was happy enough to let him use his stride. Perhaps those behind did not think he had the class for this level and the colt was granted an uncontested lead into the home straight. There Hanagan made his bid for the lie and opened up a three-length lead that had the pursuers flat-footed, as Tin Horse and Maiguri dead-heated for the places.
For Hanagan, whose talent is matched only by his modesty, a first Group One winner was something that he was keen to share with Fahey, whom he credits for much of his success. “I’ve been waiting for it for quite a long time now. And I’m just delighted for the boss – it’s his first Group One winner as well so it’s absolutely magic.”
Twice Johnny Murtagh had turned down the chance to ride Misty For Me this season. On each occasion he thought that Aidan O’Brien had a better-class runner in the race and could only watch from behind as Seamus Heffernan came in for the spare ride, which yielded a second in the Group Two Debutante Stakes and then a Group One victory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes in August.
It may have helped that Misty For Me was O’Brien’s only runner in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac, but Murtagh had probably learned his lesson and the filly underlined that she is one of the better-class fillies in Europe.
She took up the running early in the home straight by which time Galikova, Goldikova’s half-sister, was already struggling. And Misty For Me seemed about to lose what appeared to be an unequal struggle with Helleborine, who came to this race unbeaten in three starts.
But the French filly, trained by Criquette Head-Maarek and ridden by Stephane Pasquier, got upsides but no further as Misty For Me battled bravely to take the win, with Rainbow Springs in third.
The run of Rainbow Springs paid another compliment to Frankel, Henry Cecil’s two-year-old star, who beat John Gosden’s filly by 13 lengths at Doncaster last month.
http://www.senore.com/Workforce-reaches-peaks-in-Prix-de-lArc-de-Triomphe-a31459http://www.senore.com/Gilt-Edge-Girl-powers-home-in-Prix-de-lAbbaye-a31455
Tags: