Dylan Thomas with Kieren Fallon Onboard Wins 'Arc' Amidst Controversy
What a Disappointing Race!
The Arc de Triomphe made up in controversy what it missed in quality or interest thanks to the ill-fated Kieren Fallon, jockey for his beloved winner Dylan Thomas Ire (Danehill USA).
First we lost one of the world's top-rated turf horses, Manduro Ger (Monson Ger), to injury before the race and then his ratings' equal, Authorized Ire (Montjeu Ire), showed up and ran no race.
Critics of Frankie Dettori for having given Authorized a bad ride simply did not look at the race. The horse never fired.
I expect an answer will eventually be found for his poor run as it was for Lawman (liver) and Stormy River (dirty scope). The latter two were retired to stud.
Authorized was one of the few in Peter Chapple-Hyam's yard to miss the virus that has spoiled his season. Perhaps it finally caught up with him.
Many have declared Manduro the moral winner of the Arc.
And others declared that, in another stride, fast-closing Youmzain Ire (Sinndar Ire) would have taken out the winner. It certainly looked like it.
His trainer Mick Channon might won his first Arc by default. He waited 35 excruciating minutes whilst French stewards debated taking the race away from Dylan Thomas because of Kieren Fallon's interference with two other serious contenders, eighth-placed Zambezi Sun (Dansili) and Ballydoyle/Coolmore's fifth-placed Soldier of Fortune Ire (Galileo Ire), by crossing in front of them between 3 and 4 furlongs from the winning post.
Instead Fallon kept the race and trainer Aiden O'Brien won his first Arc.
Former footballer Channon was thrilled with Youmzain, did not want to win by default and commiserated with Dylan's connections during the wait.
I can only imagine owner Jaber Abdullah's disappointment as he was keen to give his fella his chance in the Arc. He is not the only one who felt the colt qualified.
Readers might note that I have recommended Youmzain since the Spring (serious value at 66 to 80-1 odds) and was impressed with the Niarchos family horse, Sagara USA (Sadler's Wells USA), who came in third at 33 to 40-1 odds).
Youmzain, who has had a troubled history for an immensely talented colt, had steadily improved at four. If he stays in training at five, we may see another Ramonti or Manduro.
In the end, the French stewards gave Fallon and Dylan the win. There is no excuse for jockeys of the caliber of Stephane Pasquier and Johnny Murtagh not getting their charges together that far out after a horse passed in front of theirs. Their horses just were not good enough on the day or they were not.
One benefit of the enquiry was that Pasquier strongly supported Fallon and Fallon took responsibility for his dreadful fall last month for which Pasquier had been blamed.
Shame on the jockeys who have been punishing Pasquier on the racecourses. Not only are such tactics unfair to the innocent horses' connections, but it is unfair to all racing.
Only two horses had the bottle to challenge the winner and a third, Soldier of Fortune, could only hang in there. The rest folded behind Saddex (Saddler's Wells USA), 4 lengths off Soldier, with Authorized just ahead of the two Ballydoyle/Coolmore pacemakers.
Poor sweet Dylan, who always tries so hard, will probably be retired as the 'lucky' horse in an unsatisfactory race and will certainly not meet the finally-firing Youmzain again.
For the sake of facts, one might note that Dylan did actually hit the line first and won his race. No other horse did.
Another unpleasant fact is that Kieren Fallon has to appear in UK Crown Court Monday to answer charges of criminal conspiracy in racing after 15 dismal months of waiting for an indictment and trial to begin.
Ladbroke's won't take bets on Fallon for riding in the 2008 Arc so things are looking bleak for the man's future.
Can anyone really begrudge him this final Triomphe?
The Arc de Triomphe made up in controversy what it missed in quality or interest thanks to the ill-fated Kieren Fallon, jockey for his beloved winner Dylan Thomas Ire (Danehill USA).
First we lost one of the world's top-rated turf horses, Manduro Ger (Monson Ger), to injury before the race and then his ratings' equal, Authorized Ire (Montjeu Ire), showed up and ran no race.
Critics of Frankie Dettori for having given Authorized a bad ride simply did not look at the race. The horse never fired.
I expect an answer will eventually be found for his poor run as it was for Lawman (liver) and Stormy River (dirty scope). The latter two were retired to stud.
Authorized was one of the few in Peter Chapple-Hyam's yard to miss the virus that has spoiled his season. Perhaps it finally caught up with him.
Many have declared Manduro the moral winner of the Arc.
And others declared that, in another stride, fast-closing Youmzain Ire (Sinndar Ire) would have taken out the winner. It certainly looked like it.
His trainer Mick Channon might won his first Arc by default. He waited 35 excruciating minutes whilst French stewards debated taking the race away from Dylan Thomas because of Kieren Fallon's interference with two other serious contenders, eighth-placed Zambezi Sun (Dansili) and Ballydoyle/Coolmore's fifth-placed Soldier of Fortune Ire (Galileo Ire), by crossing in front of them between 3 and 4 furlongs from the winning post.
Instead Fallon kept the race and trainer Aiden O'Brien won his first Arc.
Former footballer Channon was thrilled with Youmzain, did not want to win by default and commiserated with Dylan's connections during the wait.
I can only imagine owner Jaber Abdullah's disappointment as he was keen to give his fella his chance in the Arc. He is not the only one who felt the colt qualified.
Readers might note that I have recommended Youmzain since the Spring (serious value at 66 to 80-1 odds) and was impressed with the Niarchos family horse, Sagara USA (Sadler's Wells USA), who came in third at 33 to 40-1 odds).
Youmzain, who has had a troubled history for an immensely talented colt, had steadily improved at four. If he stays in training at five, we may see another Ramonti or Manduro.
In the end, the French stewards gave Fallon and Dylan the win. There is no excuse for jockeys of the caliber of Stephane Pasquier and Johnny Murtagh not getting their charges together that far out after a horse passed in front of theirs. Their horses just were not good enough on the day or they were not.
One benefit of the enquiry was that Pasquier strongly supported Fallon and Fallon took responsibility for his dreadful fall last month for which Pasquier had been blamed.
Shame on the jockeys who have been punishing Pasquier on the racecourses. Not only are such tactics unfair to the innocent horses' connections, but it is unfair to all racing.
Only two horses had the bottle to challenge the winner and a third, Soldier of Fortune, could only hang in there. The rest folded behind Saddex (Saddler's Wells USA), 4 lengths off Soldier, with Authorized just ahead of the two Ballydoyle/Coolmore pacemakers.
Poor sweet Dylan, who always tries so hard, will probably be retired as the 'lucky' horse in an unsatisfactory race and will certainly not meet the finally-firing Youmzain again.
For the sake of facts, one might note that Dylan did actually hit the line first and won his race. No other horse did.
Another unpleasant fact is that Kieren Fallon has to appear in UK Crown Court Monday to answer charges of criminal conspiracy in racing after 15 dismal months of waiting for an indictment and trial to begin.
Ladbroke's won't take bets on Fallon for riding in the 2008 Arc so things are looking bleak for the man's future.
Can anyone really begrudge him this final Triomphe?
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