Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Group 1)

THE three main themes surrounding this autumn’s top juvenile races across Europe have been – Harrington, Shamardal and Godolphin.

The Boussac underlined the first of these and the other two were emphasised by the result of the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere sponsored by Manateq, won by Victor Ludorum, a third recent Group 1 success for a Godolphin homebred son of Shamardal, following those of Pinatubo and Earthlight.

Only seven colts lined up for the Lagardere but they included Aidan O’Brien’s distant National Stakes runner-up, Armory, meaning that the result would provide a clue as to the quality of that race’s runaway winner, Pinatubo.

Armory ran well enough to be beaten by only a length in third, though the race was run at such a dawdling pace – the winning time was almost three seconds slower than the fillies achieved over the same mile in the Boussac 35 minutes earlier – that drawing and firm conclusions at where that leaves Pinatubo is dangerous.

Also dangerous is to allow Frankie Dettori an uncontested lead at a course where he is an acknowledged master from the front, but that’s exactly what happened.

Riding the Jean-Pierre Carvalho-trained German colt, Alson, Dettori was able to decide the precise moment at which to quicken the tempo and his cunning was rewarded with a fine second place, three-quarters of a length behind the winner.

He was still no match for Victor Ludorum, who overcame the obstacles of a tactically-run race, his own lack of experience (this was his stakes debut) and the taxing ground to score cosily. He was also quite free on the way to the start and winning jockey admitted after the race that he ‘has a strong will and can be quite difficult.’

Trainer Andre Fabre praised his colt’s resolution in the finish, saying: “He’s a beautiful mover and proved today that he goes on any ground, which was a big, big concern beforehand.

“I’ve never viewed him as a natural two-year-old, more of a horse for next year, when I think he will get at least a mile and a quarter, which I think Earthlight will too.

“He will have the winter off while Sheikh Mohammed decides his programme for next season when maybe a French classic campaign, with the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Prix de Jockey-Club, might suit him best.”