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3 October 2022
Japan is still an option for Arc heroine Alpinista
Kirsten Rausing and Sir Mark Prescott weigh up whether or not to embark on a lucrative Tokyo raid after another Japanese washout at Longchamp.
Alpinista and Luke Morris fend off Vedeni and Christophe Soumillon to win the Arc. (Photo by Horsephotos/Getty Images)
Japan’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe assault sank in the sodden Longchamp turf on Sunday but the victorious British mare Alpinista could yet be Tokyo-bound to chase a US$3 million bonus in the G1 Japan Cup.
The grey’s trainer Sir Mark Prescott suggested post-race that while retirement is a persuasive option, Japan is still being considered, and that was echoed by owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing who also has the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf to weigh up.
The five-year-old’s win in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in July had already qualified her for a series of lucrative Japan Cup bonuses; victory in the November 27 feature would net the big pot on top of first-place prize money of US$3.4 million, but there is also a US$1.2 million bonus payment up for grabs for finishing second, down to US$200,000 just for turning up, on top of travel expenses and accommodation being covered by the Japan Racing Association (JRA).
“It would round it off, seven Group 1s in a row would be remarkable,” Prescott said after Alpinista had seen off 19 rivals to win her sixth, including a four-strong raiding party from Japan.
That group, aiming to land a long-awaited first ‘Arc’ win for their homeland, was headed by Titleholder, Japan’s star four-year-old, who attempted to do what El Condor Pasa before him famously could not: lead from start to finish.
The son of Duramente cut out the running under Kazuo Yokoyama through pouring rain. Behind him, Alpinista stuck tight to the fence in fourth, following a ‘fresh strip of ground’ her rider Luke Morris had spoken about pre-race.
As Titleholder’s hooves cut through the wet turf up front, flinging it backwards in a relentless spattering of mud, the Tokyo Yushun winner Do Deuce was many lengths behind at the tail under Yutaka Take, struggling to find traction, let alone rhythm; Deep Bond raced handily but was never at ease and Japan’s fourth-choice, Stay Foolish, raced uncomfortably in midfield. As the field turned into the home straight, Titleholder offered the only hope of a Japanese success.
But that too was diminishing rapidly: his gait was less purposeful, the stride weaker; Alpinista cruised past approaching 300 metres with Morris motionless. Titleholder wilted and retreated.
Star mare Alpinista wins the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for @Luke_Morris88 #QPAT pic.twitter.com/ueqN1RJl9A
— Asian Racing Report (@AsianRacingRep) October 2, 2022
Prescott, a sportsman of the old school with a famous penchant for bull fighting, was asked what his thoughts were at that moment. “Wait, wait, wait,” he said.
Morris, Prescott’s stable jockey of 11 years, did just that until Vadeni challenged under Christophe Soumillon, then came the rider’s vigorous, bumping drive, aiding the mare in her run to glory. The winning margin was half a length and a neck from Vadeni and last year’s winner Torquator Tasso.
Titleholder was 11th, 13 lengths behind; Stay Foolish was 14th, Deep Bond a distant 18th and Do Deuce a never involved 19th, all thwarted, seemingly, by the ‘very soft’ going.
Rausing’s Lanwades Stud homebred – the first five-year-old mare to win the race since 1937 – registered a winning time of 2m 35.71s, a full 6.1 seconds slower than standard. That provides an insight to the task the daughter of Frankel will face if she does go to Tokyo: Contrail won last year’s Japan Cup on fast ground in a time of 2m 24.7s.
