Suppose he had been put away for the year after the Irish Champion, because his owner was mad at the French Jockey Club (like the people behind Dar Re Mi were after her DQ last month), or because the trainer thought he wouldn't like the soft ground that Longchamp often has in October? People were saying he didn't really stay 12f and would have continued to do so if he hadn't tried. The champions face their obstacles and overcome them for all to see.
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