2012

THERE was a lovely Irish touch to Arc day as Tom Hogan saddled his first Group 1 winner.

Gordon Lord Byron won the Qatar Prix de la Foret in the hands of William Buick from Penitent.

The four-year-old had been supplemented into the race, which he won in style. Having been runner-up to Society Rock in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock, the gelding was made the 5/2 favourite for the Foret.

Settled behind the leaders early on in the seven-furlong event, Gordon Lord Byron coasted into the lead at the furlong marker and quickened away to win by a tidy length and a half from Penitent, also a supplementary entry, with Daniel Tudhope on board. Kendam made up a lot of late ground to finish a neck away in third.

Starspangledbanner pulled hard early on and was a spent force by the straight, where he was eased before taking last place. The winner’s owner Morgan Cahalan had leased a quarter of the horse for the day to Swiss businessman Adolf Schneider, who keeps a few mares in Ireland, so it was a shrewd investment.

Persuasion

Hogan said: “I have to thank William Buick as he persuaded me to supplement the horse into the Foret, as he thought it would be the perfect race for him. We were quite confident before, so we decided to have a go. He’s a very brave horse and was given a fine ride.”

The master of Fattheen in Co Tipperary added: “I have around 14 horses in my stables, and the ones I don’t own I have a share in. He acts on all grounds, and it was a group of friends who chipped in to pay the supplement [€18,000]. Gordon Lord Byron has been strengthening and putting on weight with age, and may continue to do so.

“We have already received a preliminary invitation to run in Hong Kong, and the mile would be the most likely target. This was my first visit to Longchamp and I would like to come back again next year.”

Gordon Lord Byron was bred at the Owenstown Stud [by Roland Alder] and picked up by Jessica Cahalan as a foal at Goffs for €2,000. He has now earned £280,425.

[Gordon Lord Byron went on to become one of the most popular horses in training, running 108 times until the age of 11. He won 16 races and was placed 32 times, and he retired with winnings of more than £1.9 million. He was also successful at Group 1 level in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock and the George Ryder Stakes in Australia.

He won a pair of Group 2 races, a Group 3 and two listed races, while his placed efforts saw him finish runner-up in two editions of the Group 1 Prix de la Foret, and runner-up twice also in the Betfred Sprint Cup]

Spectacular performance by Zarkava

2005

ONE of the most spectacular performances of the afternoon was put up by the Aga Khan’s Zarkava in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

The daughter of Zamindar looked set for a minor place halfway up the straight, but she produced a scintillating turn of foot which made up some eight lengths in the last furlong and a half.

Having been hampered under two furlongs out, she found racing room and began her amazing run. Zarkava ended up two and a half lengths clear of long-time leader Conference Call and the Irish fillies, Mad About You and Savethisdanceforme. The 6/4 favourite Laureldean Gale ran way below expectations and could only finish in eighth position.

Alain de Royer-Dupré had supplemented Zarkava into the race following a highly impressive gallop at Chantilly racecourse. He said: “She is a top-class filly and had only had one race before this success. She is so good that I believed she could go directly from a maiden to a Group 1 win. Zarkava will now be prepared for next year’s Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.”

Christophe Soumillon added: “This filly has exceptional class, and in the mornings she shows something quite incredible. I think she is the best two-year-old filly in France at the moment.”

Conference Call lost her unbeaten record, but the Khalid Abdullah camp was not too disappointed, as the winner is by their stallion. Mad About You was given every possible chance and was in second place for much of the race. Dermot Weld commented: “She ran a good race and should turn into a quality three-year-old.”

[This proved to be an exceptional renewal of the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Not only did the victory earn Zarkava the title of best juvenile filly in Europe, she was the best at three when, in an outstanding season, she won both French fillies’ classics, the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-1000 Guineas and the Group 1 Prix de Diane-Oaks. She then crowned the season with success in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Unbeaten in seven starts, Zarkava has now become an outstanding producer too, the best of her three stakes winners being the exciting Zarak (Dubawi). Winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and runner-up in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby, his first crop of three-year-olds includes seven stakes winners and two others who have been Group 1-placed. His first winner at the highest level is not far away.

Conference Call is the dam of six winners, the best being the US stakes winner Seismic Wave (Tapit). She is also grandam of last year’s Grade 3-winning US juvenile Verbal (Flintshire).

Mad About You won the Group 3 Gladness Stakes and she was twice runner-up in Group 1 races, the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Pretty Polly Stakes. She has bred six winners]

Taaffe denied a fairytale start

1982

STEP Together and Frank Berry foiled Tom Taaffe of a fairytale debut as a professional at Roscommon on Monday.

Taaffe, who only received his professional licence hours before racing, partnered Skelum in the Lanesborough Novice Chase but, after making most of the running, Arthur Moore’s charge was caught in the closing stages by the Berry-partnered grey who was having his first run over fences.

Skelum was in front over the last but was run out of it close home by the Jim Bourke-trained six-year-old. The margin was half a length with Ib, staying on well at the finish, two and a half lengths behind in third place.

Deep Consolation ran out for the third time in recent weeks at the third last flight in the Boyle Handicap Hurdle. Well in contention when he ‘ducked’ out, Tom Costello’s charge was the subject of a stewards’ inquiry. John Costello, representing his father, was informed by the stewards that such behaviour in the future would render the horse liable to be reported to the stewards of the governing bodies.

[Deep Consolation was allowed to continue his racing career, adding four wins over fences to his four successes over hurdles.

A son of Ragusa, Skelum had won four times on the level and four times over hurdles, and he was runner-up in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Punchestown. He took until the age of 10 to win his only chase, though he was second in the Arkle Chase at Leopardstown.

Step Together won a second time over fences, notably landing the Grade 1 Powers Fold Cup at Fairyhouse. The son of Big Spruce later went to stud and sired a number of winners under National Hunt rules]