Early predictions for The Arc

[my miss storm cat]

Mossie did well!



BAUN SUPREMACY IN ABBAYE

Benbaun has made the Curragh his home-from-home but he could not have picked a better place to collect a rare 'away' success than by spearheading a British-dominated Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp.

Six times victorious at the Irish track, it has been over three years since he won anywhere else and he has given trainer Mark Wallace plenty of anxious moments.

A predilection for fast ground had been one of the potential stumbling blocks for Benbaun (13-2) but Wallace was happy after taking a look at the track.

There was not much to worry about once the five-furlong dash started and Pat Smullen got first run on Kingsgate Native to power home by two lengths.

Last year's winner Desert Lord was the same distance away in third, with Moss Vale and 2003 hero Patavellian rolling back the years for a British-trained clean sweep of the first five places.

Newmarket-based Irishman Wallace said: "We've looked after him and haven't run him in every race.

"We were worried about the ground but we walked the track and it wasn't too soft, so we thought we'd take our chance.

"He burst (a blood vessel) at Royal Ascot, so we were worried it might happen again.

"The vets have done a great job as he's just had niggly problems all the way through.

"I've been training four and a half years, this is my first Group One, so it's a dream come true.

"He's definitely going to Hong Kong in December - if they invite him and I think they might! Then we might go to Australia. He's got very few miles on the clock, so we will try and come back next year."

John Best's Kingsgate Native, who broke the mould by winning the Nunthorpe Stakes as a juvenile, proved the effort was no fluke.

His rider Jimmy Quinn reported: "The winner went away and was always holding me.

"He handled the ground OK but on good ground he is even better.

"The placings might have been different with another 12 months on his back."

[brockguy]

Im delighted for Fallon, O'Brien and Coolmore for winning the Arc on such a good horse like Dylan. It was a cracking race with Youmzain proving us believers right - 80-1 was some price (would have been better if he won!). Dont really know what happened to Authorized. I thought he was in a strange position so far back (draw probably forced his hand), but seeing that Youmzain, Saddex, Gateway all came flying late, you would have thought that he would have used his acceleration to good effect. The ground looked a little quicker than good to soft. Was that too quick for him? I dont know, but its not a great way to leave the racing world.

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by brockguy

Im delighted for Fallon, O'Brien and Coolmore for winning the Arc on such a good horse like Dylan. It was a cracking race with Youmzain proving us believers right - 80-1 was some price (would have been better if he won!). Dont really know what happened to Authorized. I thought he was in a strange position so far back (draw probably forced his hand), but seeing that Youmzain, Saddex, Gateway all came flying late, you would have thought that he would have used his acceleration to good effect. The ground looked a little quicker than good to soft. Was that too quick for him? I dont know, but its not a great way to leave the racing world.

I backed Youmzain for a place, and Dylan for the win. I got 7/1 about Dylan (which was stupid) and just under 12/1 about Youmzain finishing in the three!

As long at he (Youmzain) gets a fast pace, he is a proper Gr1 horse and shouldn't have been anywhere near that sort of price today. I thought 33's was big enough!

I've been saying for a long time that Authorized is just a soft ground horse, and in my opinion he proved that today. As you mentioned, all the principles came from well off the pace. There was no reason Authorized couldn't. I don't think he is quick enough to cope with anything other than soft ground. For a 2yo to win over a mile in heavy shows you how much stamina he has.

[brockguy]

under french rules though, i cant believe dylan wasnt thrown out..

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by brockguy

under french rules though, i cant believe dylan wasnt thrown out..

True. It's a mixed bag with the French stewards, sometimes they are gone, sometimes not.

However, me being cynical, i do think he would have been thrown out if a French horse was second. The fact that it was a Channon horse that was second made it more likely Dylan would keep it. Channon and the Longchamp stewards don't get on, do they!

[brockguy]

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

True. It's a mixed bag with the French stewards, sometimes they are gone, sometimes not.

However, me being cynical, i do think he would have been thrown out if a French horse was second. The fact that it was a Channon horse that was second made it more likely Dylan would keep it. Channon and the Longchamp stewards don't get on, do they!

exactly as i said on the thread in the main section.. and methinks if murtagh was on board dylan, pasqualier may have been a bit more furious..

the strange thing was that usually in france, if you interfere with one horse, you get thrown. Dylan interfered with 3! and although he had his whip in his right hand, he didnt drop it to try and correct his mount which the rules state he should. any other race in france, he would have gone..

from a personal view im delighted for all of coolmore, but on a financial level, im gutted. it would have made it my best weekend ever. I doubt many people could say they backed 100-1 and 80-1 winners in G1s in consecutive days..

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by brockguy

exactly as i said on the thread in the main section.. and methinks if murtagh was on board dylan, pasqualier may have been a bit more furious..

the strange thing was that usually in france, if you interfere with one horse, you get thrown. Dylan interfered with 3! and although he had his whip in his right hand, he didnt drop it to try and correct his mount which the rules state he should. any other race in france, he would have gone..

from a personal view im delighted for all of coolmore, but on a financial level, im gutted. it would have made it my best weekend ever. I doubt many people could say they backed 100-1 and 80-1 winners in G1s in consecutive days..

I'm pretty sure it would have been different if the second and thrid place finishers had finished the other way around.

Channon was delighted with Youmzain as he thought there were thre or four that would beat him, so maybe he wasn't as tough as he could have been. He and the French stewards don't get along after the Yasdood incident.

Racing is like that, which is a shame in many cases, but today the best horse won.

I do think our rules are the best. As long as the final result isn't affected, the result should stand. Like it did today.