Royal Marine wins Group One battle to fire up Bin Suroor’s revival
Godolphin’s resurgence over the past few seasons has been led by Charlie Appleby and, although Wild Illusion won yesterday’s Prix de l’opera for him, it was Saeed bin Suroor, who, let us not forget, has won three Prix de l’arc de Triomphes, who began his own revival yesterday when Royal Marine, a big strong son of Raven’s Pass, beat Coolmore’s Broome a neck in the Qatar Prix Jean-luc Lagardere.
Last year, Bin Suroor was extremely forthright about the lack of ammunition his half of Godolphin’s Newmarket operation had been receiving – which indirectly led to John Ferguson’s departure as chief helmsman – and Royal Marine is evidence that, for him at least, the tide is turning. “Last year we didn’t have the two or three-year-olds,” he said. “But Sheikh Mohammed has given me nice horses and they are beginning to win nice races. It is brilliant for the future.”
The Prix de l’abbaye is usually the British banker on Arc day and this time it went to the Michael Dods-trained Mabs Cross, but it required the fine judgment of senior French jockey Gerald Mosse to stick her nose in front on the line.
It may have been a case of so near and yet so far for William Haggas in the Arc, but he did not leave Longchamp empty-handed after One Master, a 47-1 shot, managed to get up in the last stride to win the Qatar Prix de la Foret and add to what was almost a clean sweep of yesterday’s Group Ones for British trainers.
Reflecting on Sea Of Class’s run a couple hours earlier as he waited for One Master to return to the winners’ enclosure, Haggas said: “I’m very proud. She ran her guts out. As Christopher Tsui [owner-breeder] said afterwards – ‘I’ve never been so disappointed to win €1million!’”
Although the new grandstand seemed to work well, there was little joy for the French out on the track with only the Marcel-boussac going their way. Fabrice Vermeulen, who trains 100 horses between Marseille and Aix-en-provence, would beat British trainers every time in the fashion stakes – burgundy suit, white stick-up collar, black tie, Chelsea boots and well-trimmed beard – and celebrated his biggest winner when Lily’s Candle won France’s top juvenile fillies’ race.
The winner represented some smart business by Us-based owner Martin Schwartz, who bought her at auction the night before for €390,000 and, within 24 hours, had not only paid half the bill but, in theory, now has a filly worth four times what he paid for her.