Workforce confirmed for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
The decision that seemed to be a no-brainer four months ago has finally been taken.
After coming through a morning workout on the Newmarket gallops Workforce was confirmed as a runner for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, at Longchamp on Sunday, for which there will be a field of 22.
The participation of Workforce, the seven-length winner of the Derby at Epsom in June, had been in doubt as he had not been seen in public since finishing 17 lengths fifth of six to stable companion Harbinger in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in June. The next time that Workforce appeared on the track it was for a morning gallop at Sandown Park last week. It was after that workout that Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manger to owner Prince Khalid Abdulla, described it as an “amber light” in terms of the colt’s chances of running in the Arc.
Now we have green.
However, Grimthorpe was keen to play down the critical nature of the gallop, with Sir Michael Stoute’s stable jockey Ryan Moore in the saddle. “It wasn’t at all tense,” Grimthorpe said. “He went on Long Hill this morning, ridden by Ryan Moore. The main thing is just to see his action and his general demeanour, both of which was good.
“He just had a nice, smooth piece of work – about four-and-a-half furlongs – just a blow out.”
While Stoute has finally given that green light the previous 24 hours had seen the rumour mill working overtime grinding out the tale that all was not right with the Stoute runner, as he drifted markedly in the market before returning to his original position – something about which Grimthorpe could not shed any light about any worries regarding the horse’s wellbeing. “Absolutely none,” he said. “I was mystified when I saw that.”
Reading the thoughts of the often publically inscrutable Stoute can be just as mystifying but he did seem to become more bullish in the lead up to the Derby and seemingly has come away pleased with Workforce’s preparations for the Arc – a race that the trainer has been trying to win for nearly 30 years, coming closest with Pilsudski who was second in both in 1996 and 1997. “He seems very positive about the horse,” Grimthorpe revealed. “Very pleased the way he’s come on since the King George, which was very disappointing, but the horse seems to have done all the right things.
“He had a good break and he’s had a very straightforward preparation for this.”
Grimthorpe conceded that the prolonged delay in confirming Workforce for the Arc had not been ideal but said: “I know it’s been an issue but the whole point of waiting until the last moment is because he really is an important horse to us. We didn’t want to mess people around and they knew from the beginning, if they were betting on the horse well in advance, then there was a good deal of risk involved. So we wanted to be sure even up until the last moment.”
Having decided to roll the dice the question now is how Workforce will handle ground that is expected to be more testing than anything that the colt has encountered in four career runs. “It’s going to be pretty soft but I don’t think it’s going to be quite as bad as everyone thinks it might be. I don’t think he’ll mind it.”
Aidan O’Brien is still expressing concerns about the prospect of heavy ground for his team of runners, which are headed by Fame And Glory, the choice of stable jockey Johnny Murtagh, and Cape Blanco, who will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon. O'Brien told the Irish Times: “Very soft ground wouldn't be ideal for any of them. The plan is still that Fame And Glory and Cape Blanco will run, but we're hoping they don't get too much rain on Saturday.”
O’Brien withdrew both Flying Cross and Joshua Tree – with Dixie Music, Midas Touch and Bright Horizon joining his main two hopes – and there have been two French-trained runners supplemented for the race. Marinous, trained by Freddie Head, should have no problems handling the ground having won on similar when he beat Redwood, a recent Grade One winner in Canada for Barry Hills, on soft ground in the Group Two Grand Prix de Deauville.
The reasons for the addition of Lope de Vega are less obvious. The colt won both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club earlier in the season but has disappointed on his last two starts.
However he is trained by André Fabre, who has won the Arc seven times, and if one of the sharpest brains in French racing believes he is worth a chance it is a decision that has to be taken seriously.
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