Doubling up on Group 1 Glory
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DOUBLING UUP ON GROUP 1 GLORY Gear Up and Subjectivist score in France This was Gear Up’s fourth racecourse more towards the middle of the track along the way, but Gear Up ended the start. After a debut success in a seven- and the others fanned out either side of disappointment with his courageous furlong novice event at York in July, the him. success. Teofilo colt returned to the Knavesmire The first to mount a serious challenge Winning jockey James Doyle to land the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at the was Tiger Tanaka, brought through by explained how the race unfolded for Ebor meeting. He was then sent to Jessica Marcialis on Gear Up’s inner. him. Newmarket to contest the Royal Lodge Having seen off that filly’s offensive, ‘It wasn’t necessarily the plan to Stakes (Group 2), finishing a close-up Gear Up then had to dig deep to hold off make the running,’ he explained after fourth of the five runners. Botanik, who launched his challenge on the race, ‘but he was very comfortable On pedigree, he seemed likely to the other side. As they flashed past the there and Franny Norton told me that handle the extra two furlongs at Saint- winning post, Gear Up had held on to last time in the Royal Lodge they went Cloud, but all three of his racecourse score by a short neck from Andre very slowly and he felt Gear Up was runs had been on ‘good’ ground. Fabre’s runner, with Makaloun just caught for speed. He was still very green getting up to pip Tiger Tanaka for third, turning for home and tried to hang left AMES DOYLE took the ride on himself a length and three-quarters all the way up the straight. Subjectivist and Joe Fanning Gear Up and sent the colt into an behind Botanik. ‘It was only inside the final furlong early lead, followed by Bolshoi In landing this historic race so gamely that he was finding his best stride. He’s JBallet and Sweet Lady as Makaloun and Gear Up became the yard’s first Group 1 very tough and courageous, a typical Tiger Tanaka were held up in the early winner since The Last Lion won the Mark Johnston horse, and he stays well.’ stages. When the ground is soft at Saint- Middle Park Stakes in 2016. It has been Mark revealed that the dream is to Cloud, the horses tend to tack over to a long and frustrating wait, punctuated ParisLongchamp. Criterium was promoted to become a the nearside turning for home. Leading with some heartbreaking near-misses Continued on p.18 By JOHN SCANLON The incredible weekend began at Group 1 race in 1987. into the straight, James kept Gear Up Saint-Cloud on the Saturday, when The Criterium’s Roll of Honour is an Teme Valley 2’s Gear Up was one of impressive one. Winners include Gear Up and James the seven runners who went to post for Darshaan, Pistolet Bleu, Poliglote, Fame Doyle (yellow cap) win WONDERFUL this year’s renewal of the Criterium de and Glory and Waldgeist. The race weekend in Paris on Saint-Cloud, worth more than £72,000 gained unwanted notoriety in 2017 when the Criterium de October 24/25 saw the to the winner. a collective of trainers, owners and Saint-Cloud yard pull off a Established in 1901, the Criterium de breeders under the umbrella of ‘Sauvons sensational double in Saint-Cloud was originally run over Le Galop’ (Let’s Save Racing), landing not just the one Group 1 victory, seven furlongs, but the trip was demonstrating against France Galop’s butA two! extended to 10furlongs (or more planned cuts of €25m from the overall You could say that a first French accurately 2,000 metres) in 1906. prize-money budget, forced the entire Group 1 success for the yard was indeed Originally allotted Group 2 status when day’s racing to be abandoned. superbe ; but to have a second within 24 the Pattern was introduced in 1971, the Thankfully there was no such hours was truly magnifique! And the difficulty in staging this year’s horses which flew the Johnston renewal of the race, although the Racing banner in such fantastic prevailing heavy ground was to fashion not only lifted a season Gear Up will stay make life difficult enough for the blighted by the Covid-19 small, but select, field. Leading the pandemic, but also held out the further. I think we opposition to Gear Up was the Aga promise of further honours to Khan’s Makaloun, a Bated Breath come next season. colt who was unbeaten in four starts The delectable double was initiated will follow the and an impressive winner of the Prix when juvenile Gear Up produced a de Condé last time out. Also in the wonderfully game performance to traditional field were Tiger Tanaka, winner of land the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac on And it was completed when the three- Dante/Derby Arc weekend; Coolmore’s year-old Subjectivist led from pillar impressive maiden winner, Bolshoi to post to land the Prix Royal-Oak at Ballet; and Godolphin’s recent what we must now call route. course winner, Botanik. 16 17 Continued from p.17 Gear Up was bred by the Irish master Parislongchamp, Subjectivist landed the by Holdthasigreen, while Princess Zoe away by lugging a bit left. He’s a tough by Mark, this time for 62,000gns as part trainer Jim Bolger and was well bought Prix Royal-Oak in grand style. and Valia were held up further back in stayer, and he’s improving.’ of Book 2 of Tattersalls October by Mark at Goffs Orby Yearling Sale for A total of nine runners went to post the field, Joe seemed to get a breather Mark flew jockey Joe across the Yearling Sale in 2018. Out of the target Gear Up at the Derby next year. just €52,000. Out of the Toccet mare, for this year’s renewal and its winner’s into Subjectivist in the false straight. Channel in his own plane, but then had Danehill Dancer mare, Reckoning, ‘We’ve felt that he was this calibre of Gearanai, Gear Up is a full-brother to pot of nearly £102,000. This historic Turning for home, Joe drove to follow the action on his phone while Subjectivist is a half-brother to the horse for most of the summer,’ he told Guaranteed, whom Bolger trained to race was inaugurated in 1861, when it Subjectivist towards the centre of the sitting at Le Bourget airport, so he could yard’s St Leger runner-up, Sir Ron the Klarion. land the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes and was called the Grand Prix du Prince track, while Pierre-Charles Boudot kept avoid quarantine restrictions on Priestley. ‘The Royal Lodge just didn’t go to who finished fifth in the Irish Derby Impérial, and was run over a distance of Holdthasigreen on the far rail. returning to Britain. It would be remiss not to highlight the plan and it turned into something of a behind Sovereign. 3,200m and restricted to three-year-olds. Subjectivist, despite drifting to the left, “Subjectivist has hung in the straight part played in this Group 1 double by sprint. It looks like he got that trip at The race was renamed the Prix Royal- kept on well and finished strongly to and if he’d lost we would have been the Darley sire, Teofilo, who sired both Saint-Cloud very well, and he’ll stay OU wait all that time for Oak and reduced in distance by 200m in score by two lengths from Valia, with very upset, but as he’s won it doesn’t colts. further, so he wouldn’t want to go back another Group 1 success, and 1869. Holdthasigreen just holding off Princess really matter. It’s fantastic,’ he said. Retired through injury after an in trip. I think we will follow the then two come along at once! Royal Oak was an English stallion Zoe for fourth, beaten a further two and ‘Staying has always been the plan for unbeaten juvenile career, in which he traditional Dante/Derby route.’ YFor the following afternoon at who was imported into France by Lord a half lengths. him and he’s just done it a little sooner listed the National Stakes and the Seymour and stood at his stud at Subjectivist can be forgiven for than we had originally planned. By Dewhurst among his wins, the son of Sablonville, at Neuilly near the Porte drifting in the straight, as it turned out winning here he’s proved himself a Cup Galileo has enjoyed a stellar career with Maillot. Visitors to ParisLongchamp after the race the blacksmith had to be horse already.’ 20 individual Group 1 winners. will know that Neuilly is within walking called to rectify damage to the colt’s off- Subjectivist will spearhead a powerful Hail the returning heroes! distance of the track. Royal Oak was fore shoe sustained during the race. team of stayers for the yard in 2021, MONG his other progeny to hugely influential in French bloodstock with the Ascot Gold Cup at the head of have performed with credit at and his descendants included three HIS was a first Group 1 success the targets for next year. Kingsley Park are ENIOR Travelling Manager Channel Tunnel. Robynne, who drove winners of the Prix du Jockey-Club and in France for jockey, Joe ‘We’ll have to juggle his programme AMildenberger, Fireglow, Austrian School Robynne Watton with Gear Up the horsebox, said both horses two of the Prix Diane.