Brits ‘n’ Irish clean sweep
CHANTILLY proved a happier hunting ground than Longchamp for the foreign raiders on Arc day.
For the first time ever the Brits and Irish took every Group One race on the card.
First up was Wild Illusion’s success in the Total Prix Marcel Boussac. Charlie Appleby’s filly won with James Doyle on top.
That 25-1 shock was followed by a better result for favourite backers when Happily took the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium for Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore.
Enable’s win in the Arc made it three from three for the raiders.
Happily’s stablemates Rhododendron and Hydrangea then fought out the best finish of the day. There has been little ® to seperate the pair all year and Rhododendron came out on top by a head.
There was a British one-two-three in the Prix de l’Abbaye.
Star Tip’s selection, Battaash, beat Marsha four lengths with Clive Cox’s Profitable a neck back in third.
The final race went to Oisin Murphy on my tip, Aclaim, trained in Newmarket by Martyn Meade.
Betfair’s Barry Orr said: “The Arc revolved around Enable and punters piled into her. It was an absolute stinker of a result.
“With no French winners on the entire card the cross multiple liabilities on the UK and Irish winners was substantial.’’