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Home , Gear Up (horse), Moonax, Princess Zoe, Teofilo (horse)

DOUBLINGUP U ON GROUP 1 GLORY and 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. colt returned to the Knavesmire The first to mount a serious challenge Winning jockey James Doyle to land the Group 3 at the was , brought through by explained how the race unfolded for 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 ’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 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 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 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 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. Fanning, who told us: a bit with his half-brother Sir Ron and Monticello, the last two having also and Groom/Rider David Hickin travelled well to their base at the The Prix Royal-Oak was effectively T‘Subjectivist was very brave and we Priestley and Nayef Road and we’ll raced in Dr Jim Walker’s colours. Swith Subjectivist as they proudly racecourse stables at Parislongchamp. the French equivalent of the St Leger, knew he would enjoy the ground. obviously try to keep them apart in the What more can be said about such a present our Group 1 winners on their They then drove Gear Up to Saint- but it was opened up to older horses in ‘He was a little bit keen going to post, run-up to the Gold Cup. But it’s stellar weekend? Well, for supporters of triumphant return from France to Cloud on the day of the race. 1979 and to geldings in 1986. Its but once he got in front he pricked his incredible to have a team like that, Johnston Racing, just like Rick and Ilsa Kingsley Park. Robynne praised all her fellow staff winning alumni include some famous ears and was fine. I was trying to save a going forward. in Casablanca, “we’ll always have ‘I never imagined saddling two members who were involved in names — Sassafras, Exceller, Gold bit in front, but when we got to the Like Gear Up, Subjectivist was Paris”. Group 1 winners within 24 hours of preparing the Group 1 duo, and said it River, Ardross, Moonax, Vinnie Roe, straight I was worried he might throw it another colt to have been well-bought Play it again, Mark. each other,’ a thrilled Robynne told was a great pity the Covid pandemic Yeats and Vazirabad to name but a few. the Klarion. meant she and David were the only Leading lights in the field for this ‘First Gear Up and then Subjectivist two with the horses. year’s race included the Aga Khan’s — it was like a dream come true for ‘It was a great weekend for the Valia, a three-year-old Sea The Stars myself and David.’ whole team, but it wasn’t quite the filly who had won three of her six career The duo took the horses to Paris via same without Mark and Deirdre and starts, including a comfortable success Newmarket, stopping there overnight the owners of the horses being there last time out in the Group 2 Qatar Prix before continuing the journey via the too,’ she said. Chaudenay as part of the Arc weekend.

HAT filly just shaded favouritism from the winner, Princess Zoe, a Tfive-year-old mare who was on a winning streak of five races for her current trainer, Tony Mullins, while the eight-year-old Holdthasigreen had won the race in 2018, and finished third both in 2017 and 2019. Owned by Dr Jim Walker, Subjectivist has had a great season in 2020. Successful in the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton in July, he wasn’t beaten far when third in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and he turned the Group 3 March Stakes there into a procession on soft ground there at the end of August. Last time out, he finished seventh in the St Leger at Doncaster, after leading the field for much of the trip. Joe Fanning took the ride on the Teofilo colt, and set out to make all the running. Joe is renowned as a master of Robynne Watton, left with Gear Up and David Hickin with Subjectivist front-running tactics, and this was another of his top-drawer rides. Pursued Subjectivist and Joe Fanning, right, win the Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp 18 19