FAB FRANKIE FOILS TREVE
FRANKIE Dettori hailed Golden Horn as the best horse he has ever ridden after landing a record- equalling fourth win in the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe to deny favourite Treve’s bid for history.
Twenty years after landing his first Arc on Lammtarra, Dettori continued a season which has seen a remarkable resurrection in his fortunes by delivering a first win in the race for trainer John Gosden, whose support has been a key to the jockey’s revival.
But Dettori, 44, refuted suggestions that he felt added revenge at denying Treve, his former mount, a place in Turf legend by becoming the first horse to win Europe’s most valuable race three times.
The Criquette Head-Maarektrained mare loomed up in the home straight under Thierry Jarnet looking poised to strike. But on her less favoured fast ground, she could never find the killer extra gear. She was beaten just over two lengths in fourth and will now be retired.
Between her and Derby winner Golden Horn were the Khaled Abdullah-owned pair of Flintshire, who repeated his 2014 runner-up performance, and New Bay. In the build-up to the race, Golden Horn’s ownerbreeder Anthony Oppenheimer had bullishly predicted his colt would ‘win easily’. He did not let him down.
During the f i nal f urlong nothing looked like laying a glove on Golden Horn, who was given a perfect tactical ride by Dettori to become only the fourth victor this century to win from a wide double-figure starting stall.
Dettori, who kept Golden Horn wide before slotting in behind Treve’s pacemaker Shahah, said: ‘I was going so fast in the last 200m even a rocket would not have got past me. The turn of foot he showed blew me away. Today you saw the real Golden Horn. He is possibly the best horse I have ridden on today’s performance. ’
Treve runs in the colours of Dettori’s boss Sheik Joaan Al Thani but last year, after two defeats when ridden by Dettori, he had acceded to the request of Head-Maarek to replace the three-time champion with Jarnet.
It left the crestfallen Sheik having to watch Dettori milk the Longchamp crowd on the big screen. Dettori, who also won the Arc on Sakhee (2001) and Marienbard (2002) said: ‘There is no revenge. Treve has been a great mare and a revelation these last three years but I was only concentrating on Golden Horn.
‘My boss was waiting in the winner’s enclosure and gave me high-fives. He is a very sporting man.’
Golden Horn could still race once more at next month’s Breeders’ Cup but he will retire at the end of the season.
As well as winning the Arc, t here were al s o British successes for Hugo Palmertrained Covert Love (Pat Smullen) in the Prix De L’Opera, and Robert Cowell-trained Goldream (Martin Harley), who won the Prix De L’abbaye.
Meanwhile, jockey Andrea Atzeni will quit as first jockey to Qatar Racing at the end of the season to take up a retainer for Sheik Obaid, who recently switched 35 horses from trainer Luca Cumani to Roger Varian.