ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (Group 1)
YET another Group 1 sprint produced a puzzling result at Deauville on Sunday as Samangan, who had finished out of the first three on each of his three previous starts, comprehensively overturned the Prix Jean Prat form with Aidan O’Brien’s True Love to pull off a near 9/1 surprise in the ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest.
In truth, this is not really a ‘sprint’, given that it takes places over the idiosyncratic distance of six and a half furlongs.
It certainly wasn’t run at sprinting pace – the lack of a strong early gallop meant that those with prominent positions, including both of the Irish challengers, the Johnny Murtagh-trained Take Charge Star and True Love, were at an advantage.
Never far behind the modest tempo set by Afandy, Samangan hit the front with two furlongs to run. Francis Graffard’s three-year-old Blue Point colt then looked likely to be defeated by Stolen Kiss, who came with a strong run in the centre of the track and probably led for a stride or two with 150 yards to run, but battled back to regain the lead and then held off the late thrust of Division by a short neck with Stolen Kiss the same distance back in third.
The Irish contingent filled the next two places, a further three-quarters of a length adrift, with Take Charge Star winning their private battle by a head.
Mission accomplished
Nemone Routh, racing manager to the winning owner-breeder, the Aga Khan’s Studs, said: “That’s mission accomplished for Samangan. Given that he won a Group 3 and a Group 2 as a two-year-old, a Group 1 victory has to be what you’re looking for.”
“He wasn’t quite himself in the spring, Mickael [Barzalona, his regular jockey] said that he seemed lethargic. Then, just a few days before he was due to head over to England for the 2000 Guineas, we found out why – he had a virus.”
Remarkably, given that the Aga Khan family’s ownership operation dates back for over a century, this was its first Maurice de Gheest victory and Samangan is likely to remain at trips short of a mile despite his pedigree including some top-class middle-distance performers, in particular the Prix de Diane heroine and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe third, Sarafina.
Graffard reported: “He’s a horse that we have always held in high regard. Things did not go as planned at the beginning of the season but his previous races have toughened him up - he really sustained his effort all the way to the line.
“His next run could be in the Prix de la Foret [on October 4th], provided the ground is not too testing.”
Maureen Haggas, representing husband William, trainer of the runner-up, said: “Division ran a very nice race, given that there was not quite enough pace for him, and finished like a train.”
Storm arrives right on time for Appleby
EARLIER in the afternoon, Godolphin’s dual classic-placed Distant Storm returned from 11 weeks away to land the mile Group 3 Prix Daphnis in good style, producing a sustained burst down the outside to collar the Italian 2000 Guineas victor, Grand Son Of Dark, close home and score by a length, the front two pulling three and a half lengths clear of the other 10 runners.
Winning trainer Charlie Appleby said: “I just felt that he needed a break after the Irish Guineas. It took him three or four weeks to get back into it but his recent work has been slick.
“Stepping him up in trip will probably be the way that we go with him now.”
Jockey Billy Loughnane added: “Distant Storm ended up a bit further back than we had planned but I was always pretty confident that we had everything covered and he won cosily.”