Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (Group 1)

A CASE Of You, expertly ridden by Ronan Whelan to a last-gasp success in the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines and a first top-level scorer in the 20-year career of the Co Dublin handler, Ado McGuinness, was the standout story from the five supporting Group 1 races.

Watching back the tape, A Case Of You was niggled along leaving the stalls to gain a decent position and then looked in danger of being bottled up toward the inside at the halfway mark.

But Whelan gradually edged the Hot Streak colt to the right without ever losing an ounce of momentum and, squeezing through the tightest of gaps between Mo Celita and Glass Slippers, at the furlong pole he took up what appeared to be a forlorn pursuit of the leader, Air De Valse, three lengths in front of him.

Reel in

Only in the last 50 yards did it look possible that he might reel in the trailblazer and victory was still in doubt even after the freeze frame picture on the line was shown, but the official photo-finish had the Irish invader ahead by a short-head – cue delirium from owner Gary Devlin and his ebullient band of travelling supporters.

Unbelievable

“I’ve been owning horses for 20 years and now I’ve won a Group 1 – that’s the magic of having sprinters,” Devlie said. “It’s unbelievable and I’m struggling to get my words out.”

“I was a bit gutted to get beaten in the Flying Five last time as I thought he might not get another chance,” Whelan reported. “But he came out of that bouncing and I’m delighted that he’s proved it was no fluke.”

McGuinness was quick to look to the future, saying: “A Case Of You is better on good ground even though he handles heavy, so we will think about the Breeders’ Cup or maybe taking him to Dubai. And he’s a fantastic prospect for next year.”

The margin back to third-placed Glass Slippers was a remarkable five lengths so spare a thought for the runner-up, leader for more than 999 of the 1000 metres and trained, owned and bred by the indomitable Corine Barande-Barbe of Cirrus Des Aigles fame.

Masking her disappointment well, she said: “It’s great just to have a runner on Arc day and going so close to landing a Group 1 with a little filly I raised myself, I really can’t complain.”