GHAIYYATH SHOWS HE’S A GOLIATH
JOCKEY William Buick branded Ghaiyyath the best middle-distance horse he has ever ridden as the colt demolished his rivals in the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes at York yesterday.
The three-length win from Aidan O’Brien’s six-time Group One winner Magical was never in doubt as Ghaiyyath made all the running in what has become his trademark style.
Ghaiyyath has now won his three starts this season and Ladbrokes cut the Charlie Appleby-trained colt to 6-1 for the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe.
Only dual winner Enable and Love, the odds-on favourite for today’s Yorkshire Oaks, are ahead of him in the betting.
Ghaiyyath was beaten over 30 lengths when the Arc was run on atrocious ground last year but Buick signalled he would love another shot at Europe’s biggest prize.
The rider, who landed the 2018 Derby on Appleby-trained Masar, said: ‘Ghaiyyath is the best middle-distance horse that I have ridden. He can do things that other horses can’t.
‘What was evident today was his kick a furlong and a half out where he completely put the race to bed.
‘He is a different horse this year to the one who ran in last season’s Arc, although he would not want to go to Paris if the ground was as bad as last year.’
With victories already this season in the Coronation Cup and Eclipse Stakes, Ghaiyyath has become the global championship performer that Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin have lacked for a while. A run in Paris will be hard to resist.
Appleby, who said races such as the Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup would be considered, added: ‘I’d love to go for the Arc. It is the race we would all like to win in Europe. We didn’t run him last year thinking that we were making up the numbers.’
The word Arc was whispered quietly after Pyledriver was an equally impressive and comfortable three-and-a-half length winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes — also giving 3lb to Highland Chief with Gordon Stakes winner Mogul a further half-length back in third.
The most immediate choice for trainer Willie Muir is whether to run Pyledriver in the St Leger or the Group One Grand Prix de Paris, both on the second weekend of September.
Jockey Martin Dwyer is convinced Pyledriver is a Group-One quality colt at a mile and a half but the fact his owners fancy a shot at the longer final Classic of the season means he will most likely head to Doncaster. Bookmaker Sky Bet rate him as a 5-1 chance.
Muir has never doubted the quality of the colt who won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing 11th in the Derby after being badly bumped at the start.
Muir said: ‘My wife told me off last night because I was so bullish and she told me keep my mouth shut.’