SUNDAY, 3 JUNE 2018 FIRST PORT OF CALL MASAR CONQUERS As far as the French Classics are concerned, the place to start is IN THE BLUE RIBAND with Antonio Caro, Gerard Augustin-Normand and Jean-Claude Rouget, such has been their rampant dominance of the domestic scene in recent times. Sunday=s G1 Qipco Prix du Jockey Club hinges mainly on whether their latest Agalactico@ Olmedo (Fr) (Declaration of War) stays this 10 1/2-furlong trip, having done what the stable=s Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}) did 12 months ago when taking the G1 Poule d=Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp May 13. Racing Manager Sylvain Vidal is in the dark in that respect. AWe don=t know if he=ll stay the distance, but we were happy with him in the Guineas and he finished strongly,@ he said. AIt=s so difficult to win the Guineas and the Derby. We did it last year, but to do it again might be asking too much, so we=ll see.@ Cont. p5 Masar and William Buick win the Derby for Godolphin | Racing Post IN TDN AMERICA TODAY CATHOLIC BOY WINS STRANGELY RUN PENNINE RIDGE In a renewal of Epsom=s G1 Investec Derby to savour, it was Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) re-rallied late to ruin the Godolphin=s royal blue which led the way home with >TDN Rising perfect record of Analyze It (Point of Entry) in a strangely run Star= Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) belying odds of 16-1 to renewal of Belmont’s GIII Pennine Ridge S. become the first to prevail in this great race in these famed silks. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Always travelling smoothly alongside the 4-5 favourite Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in mid-division, the G1 2000 Guineas third went forward as soon as William Buick posed the question passing three out and he proved he stayed the mile and a half thoroughly to win by 1 1/2 lengths from Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}), with Roaring Lion (Kitten=s Joy) a half length away in third. Saxon Warrior met some trouble in running, but looked unhappy on the track when in the clear and could only finish 2 1/2 lengths further behind in fourth. AIt is not easy to win it, but we are pleased to be here to do it with a horse from Dubai,@ Sheikh Mohammed simply stated as he prepared to welcome back the first Derby winner in the Godolphin silks. AIt=s huge, massive,@ Buick said. AThis is my seventh Derby ride and there were a couple of times where I was thinking is my time ever going to come, so to do it for Sheikh Mohammed and his family in the royal blue makes me very happy. He stayed the trip and travelled beautifully. He=s a very good horse and the team believed in him even though it didn=t happen for him in the Guineas.@ Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 2 OF 17 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 3 JUNE 2018 Masar Conquers In The Blue Riband cont. from p1 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly on Arc day. Like another Horses who can win a G3 Craven S. by nine lengths are chestnut who was on the premises in the Guineas before categorically top-class and it was no surprise to see Masar sent storming to Derby glory in Generous (Ire), he started out over a off favourite for the Guineas back at Newmarket, but in that short trip as a juvenile and it is worth remembering that the May 5 mile Classic he was left exposed on the wrong part of the runner-up in his six-furlong debut at Goodwood last May was track as Saxon Warrior enjoyed a dream trip down the middle. the leading sprinter Invincible Army (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Not that tactics were the reason for their placings, with the Even his sixth behind Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in Del Mar=s winner clear best on that day and very few expected a GI Breeders= Cup Juvenile Turf in November was marked by a turnaround in this race with the temptation to talk of stirring finale having met significant trouble in running, but like Ballydoyle=s favourite almost as if he was already one of the many he was languishing in the backwaters approaching this test greats. When it came down to it, Masar handled Epsom like a as Saxon Warrior=s aura proved so beguiling for the purists. One dream whereas his Newmarket conqueror was all at sea late on. voice that could be heard if people were willing to listen was Charlie Appleby=s, as he issued nothing but positive bulletins in the lead-up and when the ground dried to good it was set fair I ALWAYS SAID WHEN I STARTED THIS for Godolphin=s true homebred. Interestingly, his Classic season had amazingly begun with a failed try on dirt when 10th in the JOB THAT ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS Listed Al Bastakiya at Meydan Mar. 10, but where Masar is TO BE THE FIRST TRAINER TO HAVE A concerned there seems to be no setback that is capable of diminishing his unstinting will. WINNER IN THIS RACE IN THE In the race, Masar was out smartly with William Buick having GODOLPHIN BLUE. to rein back as the Lingfield Derby Trial first and second Knight To Behold (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Kew Gardens (Ire) Charlie Appleby (Galileo {Ire}) carved it out up front. Masar and Saxon Warrior, the latter of which had to use some petrol to get up from his much-maligned draw, went comfortably beside each other halfway down the field and it was all straightforward until coming off Tattenham Hill. At the three-furlong pole, Masar was Masar saw out the trip with all the relish that his sire did 10 looking at clear daylight ahead but Ryan Moore was trapped years ago and his relatives Sea the Stars (Ire) and Galileo (Ire) behind his stablemate The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Dee did in their respective Derbys, while perhaps Donnacha Ex Bee and that was where the pinch happened for the O=Brien=s initial reaction on the way back to Newmarket=s favourite. Masar strode effortlessly to the lead before the two winner=s enclosure that 10 furlongs is Saxon Warrior=s true pole and while Moore was trying to get Saxon Warrior to move distance was prophetic. Masar had the Alucky@ draw in 10 here, around Roaring Lion and into a challenging position, his mount while Saxon Warrior was in the dreaded one stall and the was wanting to hang down the camber. The Triple Crown dream winner enjoyed a clearer run through the race, but all that aside died there and then. Roaring Lion, who had yet to beat Masar in he was the better on this all-important occasion. two previous encounters, looked a real threat a furlong later but Masar=s Craven performance did not come from nowhere, as Masar had the greater stamina and kept rolling to the line with he had flashed ability at two when beating the recent G1 Irish Dee Ex Bee plugging on into second despite looking unhappy on 2000 Guineas winner Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor the track. {Ire}) in the G3 Solario S. at Sandown and when third in the Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 3 OF 17 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 3 JUNE 2018 Masar Conquers In The Blue Riband cont. Vice President, International Operations Gary King Twitter: @garykingTDN [email protected] + 1.732.320.0975 Charlie Appleby and William Buick | racingfotos.com International Editor Kelsey Riley This was a magnificent result for the Maktoums, with the Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN winner representing a triumph as a fourth-generation homebred [email protected] whose relatives have been flagbearers at the Dubai carnival and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum finishing second European Editor with a colt from the first crop of the operation=s recent stalwart Emma Berry Farhh. Charlie Appleby was exhilarated and said, AI always said Twitter: @collingsberry when I started this job that all I wanted to do was to be the first [email protected] trainer to have a winner in this race in the Godolphin blue and Associate International Editor I=m so delighted for Sheikh Mohammed and all the royal family-- Heather Anderson it=s a dream,@ he said. AIt=s a fantastic team effort, Brett Doyle Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN rides him every day and has been sweet on him since the Guineas. He said he would stay and William has given him a Marketing Manager peach of a ride.@ Alayna Cullen Dee Ex Bee=s trainer Mark Johnston was looking ahead to Twitter: @AlaynaCullen racing on more conventional tracks with the gallant runner-up, [email protected] who left his G3 Chester Vase defeat well behind. AWe came here Contributing Editor with doubts about his effectiveness on the track and I=m not Alan Carasso sure it suits,@ he said. ABecause of the camber he rolled on to the Twitter: @EquinealTDN one on his inside, but he rallied again up the hill so it bodes really well for the future. You could go to the [G1] Irish Derby [at Cafe Racing The Curragh June 30], but I=ve said before that I don=t think I=ve Sean Cronin ever had a horse more suited to the [G1] St Leger [at Doncaster Tom Frary Sept. 15], so I think it could be best to work backwards from [email protected] that.