Tag Archive for: Absurde

Melbourne Cup dream still alive for Mullins

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Willie Mullins has not given up on his Lexus Melbourne Cup ambitions after watching Absurde finish best of his two runners in the Flemington feature.

The Closutton trainer fielded the same two horses as last year in the latest renewal of the two-mile Group One, with Absurde aiming to improve on seventh place while Vauban had amends to make after proving a bitter disappointment 12 months ago.

Partnered by Kerrin McEvoy and William Buick respectively, both Absurde and Vauban were settled in the pack through the early stages before trying to challenge in the straight.

Vauban’s run down the middle of the track soon petered out to finish 11th, but Absurde made strides on the inside rail and was eventually beaten just under two lengths in fifth.

Absurde (left) finished fifth at Flemington
Absurde (left) finished fifth at Flemington (Mike Egerton/PA)

Mullins could envisage a third attempt on the race for Absurde, although Vauban appears unlikely to try his luck again.

“We will see how Vauban is in the morning, but the writing appeared to be on the wall from halfway,” the trainer told Channel Nine.

“I was delighted with Absurde. Kerrin wanted to have him a little bit closer but he got a little bit of trouble or something early on, he got a bit further back than he anticipated passing the winning post.

“To run the way he did and finish the way he did from that position was a hell of a run – we’re delighted with him.

“I would say Absurde might come back, but it’s probably not Vauban’s track. I’m sure (Absurde’s owner) the HOS Syndicate will be keen to come back and we’ll see what happens. We’ll try to find one or two more.”

Vauban disappointed again in the Melbourne Cup
Vauban disappointed again in the Melbourne Cup (John Walton/PA)

Buick also felt Vauban had failed to show his best and told www.racing.com: “I was a bit further back than ideal. He travelled well the first half of the race, and I had to hold my position. He came off the bridle far earlier than I expected from him.”

The Brian Ellison-trained Onesmoothoperator had enjoyed a perfect preparation for the race in winning the Geelong Cup but he could finish only 12th in Melbourne, beaten just under six lengths.

His jockey Craig Williams said: “I was happy the way his prelim was, but once we placed him under pressure in the race today, he just wasn’t quite at his best. Interesting to see how he comes through the run.”

Harry Eustace’s Sea King was the other British-trained contender, having booked his Melbourne ticket with victory in the Bendigo Cup last week.

He was settled in last place after being slowly away under Hollie Doyle and could not make up sufficient ground in the straight, finishing six and a quarter lengths behind the winner in 14th place.

Eustace told Grosvenor Sport: “Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for Sea King today in the Cup. He broke a bit slowly from stall one, which he did at Bendigo, but we didn’t want to give him a squeeze after that as we were worried that might light him up.

“He ended up at the back of the field, and it was always going to be incredibly tough to overcome the 22 runners ahead of him over the two miles.

“Honestly, I’m very proud of the horse and I think he showed more than enough class in his run. He’s finished bang upsides Onesmoothoperator, so you’d say they’ve ended up running to form.

“Sea King stays down in Australia now and will join Matt Dunn for Aussie owners OTI Racing. We’ve had a fantastic time with him here, it’s been a wonderful experience and I’m sure Sea King will give some brilliant owners plenty more fun.”



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Absurde backed to make his presence felt alongside Vauban in Melbourne

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Patrick Mullins has urged punters not to forget Absurde in the Melbourne Cup, despite Vauban appearing to be the stable first string.

Absurde has had a far from traditional campaign since finishing seventh, beaten just over five lengths, in Flemington 12 months ago.

He had three runs over hurdles, culminating in a thrilling success in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, before a wide-margin defeat in the Irish St Leger Trial. However, he got back to winning ways in style in Listed company at Chester.

Vauban, on the other hand, has been mixing with the best and was a fine second to Kyprios last time out having also won the Lonsdale Cup.

“To get two of them back there is fantastic – last year it didn’t work out. We made our tactics before the race and it didn’t work out,” Mullins, assistant trainer to his father Willie, told Sporting Life.com.

“As it turned out, we were using the wrong tactics because all of the horses in the first six were in the second half of the field and our two were in the first half and that’s just how it happened on the day.

“Vauban didn’t handle the really hot weather on the day well either. We’re changing things around, and sending him out a bit later this time around. He would have gone down a lot earlier last year.

“They’re both going there in good form with good runs lately and I think we should just draw a line under last year. I don’t think it means they can’t win it and I think we’ll change our tactics. We’ll certainly change our preparation, and we will go again.”

He went on: “Definitely (there’s unfinished business), we know Vauban is better than that, so we draw a line through that.

“Absurde last year really caught my eye. Of all the horses who raced in the first half of the field, he was one who went the closest. I think we’ll ride him a little bit differently this year as he’s a horse who’s a little bit more bred for the race than Vauban.

“He’s more of a Flat type, and a good ground Flat type as well. I know all the hype is around Vauban, but I wouldn’t forget Absurde, I thought his performance last year was eyecatching.”



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Vauban set for second shot at Melbourne Cup

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Vauban and Absurde once again head the European contenders for the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 5.

The Willie Mullins-trained pair contested the two-mile Group One last year, with Vauban sent off favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore only to disappoint on the day, coming home 14th of the 23 runners while Absurde was a creditable seventh.

Vauban booked his ticket for this year’s renewal with victory in the Lonsdale Cup at York last month, while Absurde triumphed in the Listed Chester Stakes over the weekend. Mullins also has a third entry in Hipop De Loire, who finished fifth in the Ebor.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Magical Zoe gained an automatic Melbourne place when winning the Ebor and she is also part of a potentially strong Irish challenge that also features Aidan O’Brien’s team of Grosvenor Square, Illinois, Jan Brueghel, Point Lonsdale, The Equator and The Euphrates.

There were no British-trained runners last year but Brian Ellison’s Northumberland Plate hero Onesmoothoperator and Arrest for the John and Thady Gosden team are entered up this time.

Andrew Balding also has two possibles in Night Sparkle and Relentless Voyager, while Jean-Claude Rouget has entered Delius.

Ex-British runner Without A Fight triumphed last year for Anthony and Sam Freedman and he features among the 123 initial nominations.

Some other familiar names on the list include Poptronic, who is now with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott after winning on Champions Day for Karl Burke last year, Place Du Carrousel, 2020 Derby winner Serpentine and Middle Earth, who was a Group Three winner for the Gosdens earlier in the season but will represent Ciaron Maher.



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Monday Musings: Some Absurde Numbers

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There was plenty of talk last week about what a numbers game racing has become, writes Tony Stafford. Cheltenham became hostage once more to Irish stables, Willie Mullins leading the way of course. I have come to enjoy his successes if only that it gives me another chance to show that in his constant interviews, he is the most polite, unassuming man you could get for all that success. Then again there was plenty of excitement going around after Ballyburn.

Dan and Harry Skelton were second only to Willie, and if Dan could usurp his long-time mentor Paul Nicholls and win a first trainers’ championship that would also be nice, joining brother Harry who was champion jockey a few years ago.

No, but it’s two other different numbers that have taken my fancy: 11 (and a little bit) and 3,000. One concerning race times – the other an auction price that shows even modest investments can sometimes buy into some exceedingly desirable bloodlines at a time when everyone is there to have a crack.

First the race times. I think last week provided some of the most testing ground ever to have been seen, certainly since before the days of racecourse drainage systems.

I can now reveal that one race last week was run in a slower time than any of the Grand Nationals since 1883. So, what could it be? The ground was certainly heavy for the running of the 4m2f Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on Saturday, with Irish-style water on the course in places.

The winner went round in 9 minutes 43.10 seconds, slower than any of the Aintree showpieces since Red Marauder and Richard Guest led home three surviving rivals in a funereal 11 minutes, 0.1 seconds 23 years ago.

But it wasn’t that time that stands supreme. Hexham operated last week with a going stick figure of 3.2 - I cannot remember one of those. It was heavy at the corresponding meeting in 2023, when the four-mile handicap chase was completed in 9 minutes 57.57 seconds. Last week it took Breeze Of Wind a mind-numbing 11 minutes 0.20 seconds, equivalent to between three and four furlongs extra in distance.

If you think he must have been left all alone in that race – far from it. Five of the six runners were still in contention coming to the final fence as the rather unlikely distances over the line reveal: 1.25 lengths, short head, neck and then 3.75 lengths to the final finisher.

You might also expect any horse to have undertaken the gruelling examination of Hexham that day to need to stay at home for a few weeks of R and R. Not a bit of it. Philip Kirby’s Heritier De Sivola galloped clear of his rivals to win Thursday’s three-mile handicap chase eased down by 32 lengths. Two days later at Newcastle, carrying a 7lb penalty for the Hexham win, he bolted up by more than five lengths, again on heavy ground on one of the country’s most demanding tracks.

Reverting to the time question, it took Breeze Of Wind and chums one-tenth of a second more to complete the four miles of the BK Racing Hexham Marathon Handicap even than Red Marauder to win his Grand National in the days when the big race was a full 4m4f. His time had not been exceeded since 1883 when owner-rider Count Karel Kinsky won on Zoedone in 11 minutes 39 seconds flat.

With the ground everywhere – except the amazing track that is Kempton – susceptible to the slightest shower, so high is the water table, fears for the prospective going for the Lincoln this week and the Grand National next month are realistic.

Now for the other number. Imagine you are at a bloodstock sale and have your eye on a two-year-old filly – in this case from the remaining dispersal of the late Sir Robert Ogden’s horses - and are waiting for lot 618, a filly by Showcasing.

But you’ve also looked at lot 617, a daughter of Kingman – stud fee 125k – and accept she will be way out of your price range. There was a negative about her, though, as she had scarred knees and the white obviously scared everyone off risking the unraced two-year-old.

But Julia Feilden had done her research and found out that before he died in March 2022, Sir Robert sanctioned a £20,000 operation to help correct a serious physical problem with the filly’s forelegs, the impact of the splints leaving unsightly (to some) white hairs on her knees as a consequence.

While wanting to wait for her number one pick, Julia watched in amazement as the bidding stalled on the Kingman filly, and after she stepped in, stopped, to her amazement, at her bid of 3,000gns.

The following lot was knocked down to Sam Sangster for 50k – “miles beyond my limit”, recalls Julia, but that filly has won already, second time out in a novice for the Brian Meehan stable at Southwell and looks set for a decent career as a three-year-old.

Already named when she bought her, Julia formed a syndicate of which she is a ten-per-cent shareholder. On Saturday night at Southwell, having learnt her trade on turf in the summer/autumn, she brought her all-weather form figures to 3211, adding to a recent Chelmsford success.

Dylan Hogan – “either he or my daughter Shelley ride her every day – she’s very buzzy” came from a long way back to get up near the line, Notre Dame showing lots of speed. Rated only 60, Julia reckons she needs to win on the turf to maximise future financial potential. But whatever the truth of that, it does prove that for the professionals, there’s always one that defies logic and slips though the net.

**

The thorny question of how the Irish do so well at Cheltenham was broached upon by the BHA’s Julie Harrington in an earnest publication even as the one-sided (though not quite as much as in some years) battle continued. I think a good proportion of the blame falls to the issue of how our handicappers treat the Irish and then our own horses.

To illustrate my point, you get the feeling that the BHA team hate horses winning races. It seems their brief is to allow one win, maybe two and then to put the handbrake on.

Last week I felt so sorry for Sophie Leech and family and their owners for the treatment of their Madara after he won at the Dublin Racing Festival. Only one of three runners from the UK to go over there in early February he added to a nice win at Cheltenham by collecting a valuable 2m1f chase at Leopardstown.

Just a five-year-old, the ex-French gelding came with a flying run that day under James Reveley, beating Henry de Bromhead’s Path d’Oroux by 2.5 lengths. The BHA handicapper’s response was to raise his mark from 133 to 143. Meanwhile the runner-up went up by only 3lb!

In the end neither enjoyed the Grand Annual at the Festival, possibly because of the ground, Madara fading away and the de Bromhead horse always at the back.

Another ridiculous piece of handicapping was the mark allotted to Ebor winner and Melbourne Cup seventh Absurde, a 110 flat-racer. From spring last year, this six-year-old was given a programme that suggested just how highly he was regarded in the Willie Mullins stable targeting big prizes under both codes.

Phase one jumping – aimed at getting a handicap mark – as lenient as possible, so he wins his novice at Killarney in May first-time out very easily at 2/7. Phase one flat – Royal Ascot where he was second to stable-companion Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap, but 7.5 lengths behind the winner.

Phase two jumping – Listed race at Galway, sixth of nine. Phase two flat, wins Ebor off 104 under Frankie Dettori.

Phase three flat, 7th in Melbourne Cup off new flat mark of 110.

Phases three and four jumping, pulled up behind Coldwell Potter, the 740k buy from the Elliott stable; then 4th at levels and 33/1 behind Ballyburn. Now he’s eligible for a mark.

Phase five, with 138 jumping compared to 110 flat – so with probably at least 12lb and likely a bit more to spare, he shows brilliant speed to stop yet another well-laid-out Skelton fancy going up the hill. Too easy – if you’re Willie Mullins and you have an Ebor winner to work with!

As if that wasn’t enough, ten of the only 13 finishers in the Boodles Handicap Hurdle for four-year-olds were Irish-trained. The Noel George team – with a McManus horse the handicappers dropped 10lb off one run of evidence, Milan Tino – and I’m not sure if he counts as training in France, was 6th; Jack Jones with an ex-Joseph O’Brien horse (he trained the winner) An Bradan Feasa was 8th; and Fergal O’Brien with the Jim Bolger capture Teorie was 10th.

In the old days trainers aiming at Cheltenham used to try to buy from the October HIT sale when there was just the Triumph Hurdle and its field of up to 30 runners to aim at. Now with this handicap to target, the Irish get going well before that. There needs to be a much better co-ordinated programme of worthwhile juvenile contests from August onwards as horses need at least three runs to get a handicap mark.

- TS



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Absurde performance one to celebrate for Mullins and Townend

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Paul Townend produced Absurde to perfection as last year’s Ebor hero got the better of L’Eau Du Sud in the BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have dominated this event in the last decade, winning eight of the last nine runnings between them, so it was no surprise to see the week’s top two trainers involved at the business end once again.

Paul Nicholls’ Afadil had led the field into the straight where Skelton’s 7-2 favourite L’Eau Du Sud appeared to be travelling supremely in the hands of the trainer’s brother, Harry.

However, Townend was weaving a passage to the front and after the last it was Closutton’s dual-purpose star who pulled out extra to land the spoils at 12-1.

As well as winning the Ebor when given an equally-inspired ride by Frankie Dettori, Absurde finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup, and Townend said: “I got a lot of satisfaction out of that one. What a horse to travel the world and then come back and put in a performance like that on that ground.

“I thought I’d have the pace of them all on his Flat form, but the ground was a big worry.”

Mullins said: “Paul can’t have a warm bone in his body, he was so cold the whole way and delivered him at the right time. He just missed the last but everything else went right.

“I was very worried about the ground, that’s why I thought Risk Belle was the best of my squad, I’d more or less drawn a line through him.

“They went very slow and his Flat speed was a big factor at the end. When I saw where he was early on I thought it wasn’t the place to be, but they were doing 18-second furlongs so I thought he might have a chance.

“He had to find his way through and while he missed the last, it was one hell of a ride, it was the ride of the week for me.

“He’ll probably go to Punchestown and then back on the Flat I’d have thought. It might be hard to qualify for Melbourne – I’d like to go though.”

Skelton said of his runner-up: “Ten or 15 strides out from the last I thought it was on, but Townend suddenly appeared!

“We didn’t jump the last great, but it hasn’t cost us. Absurde was always cantering over us and if we’d jumped the last Townend would have looked even cleverer than he did, which is a big statement because he looked very clever coming from last!

“It’s been a magic, remarkable week. I’m very proud of the owners and horses.”

There was a JP McManus one-two in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase as Gavin Cromwell’s Limerick Lace held off the late challenge of Willie Mullins’ 15-8 favourite Dinoblue.

Keith Donoghue ousted Stuart Edmunds Marsh Wren at the head of proceedings and it proved an inspired piece of riding as the lengths the 3-1 winner gained gave her enough breathing space when the advantage began to close late on.

Cromwell said: “That was fantastic and Keith was very good on her because she’s not straightforward. She’s a bit of a madam, she almost kicked the cameraman on the way out and she’s broken a lot of white rail at home. She’s a bit of a lady, but you don’t mind when they’re that good.

“We knew she’s stay well, but when you’re in front for so long you’re worried you’ll get nabbed, but she stuck at it.

“On the day, over two and a half on testing ground, it probably played more to Limerick Lace’s strengths than Dinoblue’s. They’re two very good mares. She’s in the Grand National and that’s a possibility.

“She’s a full-sister to the horse that won yesterday (Inothewayurthinkin), I’m sure it’s happened before but I shouldn’t think too often (two siblings winning at the Festival).”

Gordon Elliott cut a delighted figure after Better Days Ahead gave him his third victory of the week in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – a race named after his idol and former boss.

The 5-1 shot was given an excellent ride by Danny Gilligan, who was enjoying his first success at the big meeting, and the young Irishman had a willing partner as he hunted down both 100-30 favourite Waterford Whispers and hotly-touted Quai De Bourbon in the closing stages.

It was also a first Festival triumph for owners Noel and Valerie Moran of Bective Stud and Elliott said: “It was great, this has always been the plan and after the last day we said we would come here.

“We’re absolutely delighted now, thrilled. I enjoy winning this race.”



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Mullins pair favoured by Melbourne Cup draw

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Willie Mullins-trained duo Vauban and Absurde have fared well in the Lexus Melbourne Cup draw, being allotted stalls three and eight respectively.

Vauban is a firm favourite to win the race that stops a nation at Flemington on Tuesday after this season adding some impressive Flat form to his high-class hurdling exploits.

The five-year-old romped home by seven and a half lengths in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot before winning the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Naas.

Absurde was runner-up to his stablemate at Ascot and has since claimed victory in the Ebor at York.

Mullins finished second in Australia’s biggest race back in 2015 with Max Dynamite and believes he has the ammunition to go one better this time.

Ryan Moore is set to partner Vauban and Mullins said: “I think he’s as good as Max Dynamite and maybe better, we’ll find out that on Tuesday.

“It’s our strongest chance ever, it probably will be my strongest chance ever.

“We wouldn’t want to forget Absurde either, he did it very well with Frankie (Dettori) in the Ebor, Frankie gave him a terrific ride there.

“He has quarantined very well, and I think he’s in great shape.”

Sky Bet Ebor Festival 2023 – Day Four – York Racecourse
Absurde ridden by Frankie Dettori (left) wins the Sky Bet Ebor (Mike Egerton/PA)

Zac Purton has been booked to ride Absurde and Mullins feels he has improved since clashing with Vauban at the Royal meeting.

“I think it’s going to be a different race and I think Absurde is going to be a different horse as well,” added the Irish trainer on racing.com.

“He’s learned to settle a good bit more and now that he’s got a nice draw, I think he’ll be able to put him where he wants him and that’ll make a huge difference.

“There was probably 20 lengths between them passing the winning post the first time around at Royal Ascot, there won’t be that here, I hope.”

Joseph O’Brien has already sent down two previous winners in Rekindling and Twilight Payment and this time relies on Okita Soushi.

He was also a Royal Ascot scorer in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes but struggled in the Caulfield Cup last time out and is an outsider here after being drawn out wide in stall 20.

Defending champion Gold Trip will line up alongside Vauban in stall two, former William Haggas inmate Soulcombe is in four and Caulfield Cup hero Without A Fight, previously trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, has drawn 16.



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Vauban sparkles in Flemington gallop

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Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban posted an impressive workout as he enjoyed a first look at Flemington.

Willie Mullins’ charge heads the market for next Tuesday’s feature after recording a seven-and-a-half-length win in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in June before booking his ticket to Australia with a cosy victory in the Ballyroan Stakes in August.

A three-times Grade One winner over hurdles, Vauban worked in company with stablemate and fellow Cup contender Absurde at Flemington, pulling away from the Ebor victor in comfortable fashion.

Mullins’ assistant David Casey has been overseeing the pair’s preparations for the Group One handicap and he is more than satisfied with Vauban heading into the two-mile race.

“Everything seems good, we’re having a ball,” Casey told www.racing.com.

“The horse has been very relaxed, taken it all in, done everything we’ve asked, great to get a morning like this morning to come to Flemington and see something different.

“It’s all just a good experience for him for race day.”

Vauban is a best-priced 3-1 with bet365, with Absurde a general 14-1 chance for the Melbourne Cup.



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Melbourne Cup glory would be right up there for Mullins

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Victory for either Vauban or Absurde in the Lexus Melbourne Cup would rank alongside the highlights of Willie Mullins’ career, according to the multiple Irish National Hunt champion trainer.

There is barely a prize in jumps racing that Mullins has not won, with the County Carlow handler counting three Cheltenham Gold Cups, four Champion Hurdles and two Champion Chases among his 94 Festival winners, plus the Grand National and any amount of the jewels of the Irish season.

However, Mullins believes a win the Flemington Group One on November 7 would match any of those achievements.

He said: “Looking at the profile of our yard, I don’t think we’re going to win a Breeders’ Cup, the chance of winning an Arc is going to be tough, so to us, the type of horse we have, it would probably be the biggest race in the world we could win.”

The Closutton handler acknowledged the historic nature of such a win, with County Carlow native George Watson among the 25 founding members of the Victoria Racing Club and the starter for the inaugural Melbourne Cup in 1861.

Mullins explained: “The guy who started it all was only two miles over the road, George Watson. He left here in 1840-something with a pack of hounds, started the Melbourne Hunt, that in turn founded the racecourse and in turn started the Melbourne Cup.

“He was the starter for 30 years, he was on the board that started Flemington and the Melbourne Cup, so it would be sort of rounding off the circle if we could bring it back to Carlow.”

Mullins is no stranger to Flemington, having first sent Holy Orders to finish a distant 17th behind Makybe Diva back in 2003.

He has hit the crossbar since with Max Dynamite finishing a half-length second in 2015 before returning two years later to take third, but he ranks ante-post favourite Vauban and Ebor victor Absurde as his best chances yet.

He said: “We’re very happy with Vauban and Absurde, both seem very well in Australia and David (Casey, assistant trainer) is very happy with the two of them.

“Both horses will handle any ground I think down there – probably softer ground would suit us better than a lot of the Australian or foreign horses. The weather down there, there’s a lot 30-degree days but it changes all the time. It’s not an issue I think with either of our horses, they could both go on fast ground.”

Vauban is a three-time Grade One winner over hurdles and made an immediate impact on the level when strolling home by seven lengths from Absurde in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot before a cosy Group Three win in the Ballyroan Stakes.

Absurde benefitted from an inspired Frankie Dettori ride to win the Ebor, but the Italian will not be in the plate again as even before he was given a 16-day ban that starts on November 7 for whip offences on Champions Day, he would not have been able to make Absurde’s weight of 8st 5lb.

Top Hong Kong jockey and old ally Zac Purton will instead take the ride as Absurde looks to make up the Ascot deficit with his yard’s number one hope.

Mullins said: “Zac Purton rides Absurde. He was third on Max Dynamite so I know Zac from before and he gave Max Dynamite a fantastic ride that day, so we were very happy when he became available. He can do the weight easily – Absurde has a light weight and it’s very hard to get top-class jockeys at that weight.

“I know their form ties in at Royal Ascot, Frankie gave him a good ride to get him settled and introduce him at the end but the race was over by the time he got going.

“You’d be hoping the Melbourne Cup would be a different pace and Zac can get Absurde settled. However, looking back on the Ebor, Frankie came up the wide outside from a wide draw which helped him to settle hugely.

“It might be harder for Zac to do something like that, although the straight in Melbourne is long enough from the two-mile start. We will have to see where we are drawn and what have you.”



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Purton booked to ride Absurde in Melbourne Cup

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Zac Purton has been booked to ride the Willie Mullins-trained Absurde in next month’s Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Purton, who is a six-times champion jockey in Hong Kong, will team up with the Ebor winner in the Flemington feature on November 7 after Frankie Dettori rode the five-year-old to victory at York.

Absurde is set to carry 8st 5lb in the big race which is too low for Dettori to maintain the partnership, so Purton is delighted to renew an old association with Mullins, having ridden Max Dynamite to finish third for the handler in the 2017 Melbourne Cup.

“I think he’s just a wizard as a trainer, he’s a very, very intelligent guy when it comes to training horses,” Purton told www.racing.com.

“You can even see with the Melbourne Cup, the horses he picks to take down for the race, how he strategically places them in the lead-up races to try and beat the handicapper.

“He just knows exactly what he’s doing and I’d always said to my manager that he’s a trainer that I think one day is going to win the Melbourne Cup and hopefully we can be a part of it.”

Purton has ridden Group One victors in his native Australia as well as Japan, Britain and Singapore but admits the Melbourne Cup is a tough race in which to have a winning opportunity.

He added: “Unfortunately, it’s been hard to get the right rides in it because the Europeans generally take their own jockeys, the Japanese like to take their own jockeys and the rides in Australia are sewn up by the jockeys that have the connections with the owners and trainers down there.

“From the position I’m in, it’s just really hard to get that right horse and I’ve got an opportunity again, so hopefully I can make the most of it. I’ve had an amazing career, I’ve ridden a lot of great horses, won a lot of big races but this is the one that is left that I’d love to win now.”



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Monday Musings: Ebor Wrap (and a word on a late friend)

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The fashion had been highly acceptable for the first three days of York’s Ebor Festival, but I hadn’t been prepared for what was to confront me on Saturday, writes Tony Stafford. I arrived early as usual, and it was only when I ventured from the box after an early cup of coffee, that ranged before me was a sea of colour.

Looking closer, the wearers of those extravagant dresses were rarely past mid-teens, some even as young as eight or nine. It was Travellers’ rather than Ebor day, and by no means for the first time, but I had generally gone home before the final day of the meeting, so it was totally unexpected for me.

But regulars were fully aware of the make-up of the day and watching more closely, you could also discern the young men, again many in early teens. Both sexes were immaculately turned out, suits and ties for the boys, fulfilling the old-time posh enclosure style requirements (largely relaxed nowadays) and the girls, beautifully coiffed and their dresses looking fit for a catwalk at Paris Fashion week.

As I made my way out of the stand aiming at the paddock, those 70 yards were a minefield – no hint of trouble, just difficult to navigate through the throng which swayed back and forth all day.

I learnt that the travellers come from all over the UK for this day, swelling the crowd on Ebor Day on which inevitably Frankie Dettori, now operating without his long-time business manager Peter Burrell, took the riding honours.

He conveniently collected the big race (£300k) on Absurde and the other half-million Group 2 City Of York Stakes on Kinross to end a most astonishing fortnight of achievement.

Referring to the Burrell issue – Pete was the man who set up the book deal when I ghosted Frankie’s Year in the Life book. Frankie said the other day: “That must have been 25 years ago! <27 in fact> and added, “Pete didn’t like that I was retiring – it was as if he was the one retiring.”

You would have thought that the rider/manager bond would have been able to withstand this after 35 years together but apparently not. The way Frankie is riding though, you wonder whether he might go through his enjoyable winter spell in California with Bob Baffert and think, maybe, “just one more year?”  - the punters will love it if he does.

A little admin followed by a catch up: I failed to deliver an article last week – I was almost halfway through an Ebor preview when we were forced to take our 15-year-old lovely little Yorkie Josephina to the emergency vet. She had suffered a sudden seizure and they said there was no alternative but to euthanise her. Here we are, on a happier day not long ago...

Tony Stafford and his beloved pooch, Josephina

Tony Stafford and his beloved pooch, Josephina

 

The week before, I suggested Frankie had probably picked up around £40k for his percentage of the half-million first prize for the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville. He took a few days off after that and from that point, he had ten more rides, mainly at York.

Five wins from the 11, with two second places both in valuable contests and one third place, his total tally of prize money amounts to £1,882,000. His percentage – bearing in mind the place earns a jockey considerably less – will still be the best part of £150k. Nice work.

Before he changed out of his civvies, a smart light-blue suit as befitted the general air of sartorial elegance on the day, Frankie spotted Brian Meehan in the paddock. “What a winner, 16/1, why didn’t you tell me?” “Why would a jockey want to know?”, asked Meehan before Isaac Shelby’s run - he finished a slightly disappointing fourth to Kinross.

Frankie had time for his lightning change into the Kinross livery while I spoke to Sam Sangster about his ever accelerating career as a buyer of yearlings. The 16/1 shot Frankie referred to was Friday’s Newmarket debut scorer Jayarebe, who had tracked and then outpaced 4/11 shot Broadway Act, a Charlie Appleby/ Godolphin colt who had already had a good debut.

Sangster had bought him for €180k at Arqana’s October Yearling sale and the colt was passed on to the returning Iraj Parvizi, owner of Meehan’s 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Dangerous Midge at Churchill Downs 13 years ago. Parvizi had been out of racing for some time and Meehan’s predictable comment was, “It’s great to have him back.”

Jayarebe could be in line for some big-race action and the decision seems to be the Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile rather than the Dewhurst at seven. That would seem sensible for the son of Zoffany who is a half-brother to a true two-mile mare and decent staying hurdler, Ian Williams’ Malakahna.

Sam Sangster said that the 180k he paid for Jayarebe was comfortably the most he’d ever paid for a yearling; Isaac Shelby cost €92k to his bid two years earlier. The Greenham winner, and runner-up in the French 2,000 Guineas and the Lennox at Goodwood has picked up £340,000 on the track but realised a good few times more than that (Sam remains coy about just how many times) to Wathnan Racing before the French Classic.

He says he has bought 12 Group performers, ten of which have been trained by Meehan – the other two by Nicolas Clement in France. Four of them have been Group 1 performers, although he has yet to supply a Group 1 winner. The average price paid for those smart performers has been a very modest £51,000, given the amazing prices paid at the sales these days. He truly is Robert Sangster’s son.

When I spoke to Brian Meehan on Friday morning, he was very measured in his analysis of Jayarebe. “He’s very, very nice.” On Saturday I tasked him with, “You put me away. You said he was very, very nice. He’s very, very, very nice!”

In performance terms, on debut he beat a field chock-full of potential and almost all with big-race entries this autumn. He put up the fastest time of the day, rare enough for a two-year-old. You could imagine Derby thoughts going through the minds of trainer, owner and talent spotter. It’s early days but if he did win the Royal Lodge, it could be within the realms of possibility.

Deauville’s month of excitement came to a climax with a big win for Paul and Oliver Cole, their Jack Darcy winning the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville at 11/1. A winner of his first two races, Jack Darcy’s best run since had been a second place to the smart William Haggas seven-year-old Hamish, who would have been top-weight for Saturday’s Ebor if he had taken up the entry. But 10st9lb (including a penalty) would have been too much, requiring a 9lb higher weight-carrying achievement than Sea Pigeon’s 44 years earlier, in 1979, to win.

It was great last week to see Sea Pigeon’s winning Ebor rider, Jonjo O’Neill, still looking in his prime. He reported his team at Jackdaws Castle is ready to go as the jumps season gathers pace. One jumps trainer, though, whose horses are always primed obviously is Willie Mullins.

When I bumped into him, asking if it was right that he was expected in the same place that had been my base all week, he said: “Sorry no, I’m off to do the day job. Maybe later.” You could say it was day job done after Absurde had won with a peach of a ride from Dettori. Later I saw him leaving the track and said, “You might be okay at the day job, but you aren’t much good at coming up for a drink.” He laughed and said: “Next time.”

- TS



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Dettori signs off from the Knavesmire with final day double

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Frankie Dettori’s nationwide last hurrah has at times left one wondering why he is retiring at all, and the veteran rider was probably asking himself the same question after another stellar day on the Knavesmire.

Riding at his final Ebor meeting, the Italian’s logical likely winner was the Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross, a hugely consistent gelding Dettori has previously described as his ‘cash machine’ as he wins valuable prizes with such regularity.

The cash machine was in good working order as Kinross paid out once again in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes, winning by three quarters of a length in front of an appreciative Yorkshire crowd.

The dust had barely settled on that success when Dettori was then given the leg up on Willie Mullins’ Absurde in the meeting’s namesake race, the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap.

The dual-purpose gelding was a 7-1 shot having been trounced by stablemate Vauban at Royal Ascot, though his chances looked to diminish when he was drawn widest of all in stall 24 and they shrunk even more when Dettori was forced to lead the troublesome five-year-old to post.

Kinross winning the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes
Kinross winning the Sky Bet City of York Stakes (Mike Egerton/PA)

Mullins certainly seemed to have lowered his expectations and had told Dettori to do as he pleased, and under that freedom he produced a ride not dissimilar to last year’s winning effort aboard Trawlerman.

The duo raced wide in the early stages and avoided the bulk of the field until the turn away from the stalls, travelling along in the slipstream of Real Dream and eventually slotting in among the leading handful.

There they remained until the home straight and when the race switched from the middle side to the stands’ side rail, Dettori gained and regained the lead several times in the final few furlongs as his mount locked horns with Live Your Dream and 5-2 favourite Sweet William.

In the final strides the race took on the film-script quality that has repeatedly appeared throughout Dettori’s final season and an Ebor triumph was added to a 2023 haul that so far includes the 2000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Gold Cup at Ascot and the Juddmonte International – a list of prizes any rider at their peak would be proud of.

Dettori revelled in the atmosphere as he collected he trophy, posing for selfies and reflecting on his final Ebor experience.

Frankie Dettori and Absurde, 2023 Ebor winners
Frankie Dettori and Absurde, 2023 Ebor winners (Mike Egerton/PA)

He said: “This morning I woke up, I felt a little bit sad. I was a bit sentimental, I can’t explain, and I thought ‘god, if I can ride one more winner at the Ebor that would be great’,” the jockey said.

“Kinross would be my banker because he doesn’t know how to run a bad race and I was drawn 24 on Willie Mullins’ horse, I thought that was asking the impossible.

“I pulled it off! Full credit to the horse and the trainer. It just worked out, what can I say?”

Though there is sentimentality surrounding Dettori’s route to retirement, he approaches the increase in attention with a degree of humour too, especially regarding Absurde’s obstinacy ahead of the Ebor.

He said: “I didn’t think I would be winning it when I had to lead him to the start. Somebody said ‘get on him’, I said ‘don’t be stupid, I’m knackered!’.



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Absurde provides Dettori with fairytale Ebor farewell

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Willie Mullins and Frankie Dettori successfully combined to land the Sky Bet Ebor at York with Absurde.

Ireland’s perennial champion jumps trainer was bidding for a second win in one of the Flat season’s most prestigious and lucrative staying handicaps following the success of Sesenta in 2009, while Dettori was on a hat-trick after previous wins on Willing Foe (2012) and Trawlerman (2022).

Having been the toast of punters after steering 9-4 favourite Kinross to victory in the preceding City of York Stakes, the Italian jockey headed back out onto the track for what may well be his final ride on the Knavesmire before his retirement later this year.

Absurde, second to Melbourne Cup-bound stablemate Vauban at Royal Ascot in June before disappointing over hurdles at the Galway Festival, was prominent in the market at 7-1 and while he had to be led down to the start by Dettori, causing a delay, he was as good as gold during race itself.

The five-year-old travelled smoothly towards the front of the pack halfway up the straight – and while 5-2 favourite Sweet William and Live In The Dream both kept him honest, Absurde found plenty against the stands’ rail to see them off by half a length and the same.

“In the last 100 yards I saw Rab (Havlin) coming (on Sweet William), my best mate, and I thought ‘that’s it I’m beat’, but all credit to him (Absurde) – he showed some guts and stuck his neck out,” Dettori told ITV Racing.

“He’s a horse that needs cover and I found myself in the front three out so all I was thinking was I’d messed it up.

“What can I say, I’ve won the Ebor on my last ride (at York) – it’s mad. I thought if I win on Kinross then great but I didn’t expect this one so it’s double sweet.”

Frankie Dettori and Willie Mullins with Absurde
Frankie Dettori and Willie Mullins with Absurde (Mike Egerton/PA)

Paddy Power cut the winner to 8-1 from 10-1 for both the Cesarewitch and the Irish Cesarewitch, while he is 20-1 from 40-1 for the Melbourne Cup.

Dettori would be quite happy to take the ride in Australia in the hope of finally winning one of the few major races on the international stage to still elude him.

He added: “I did say to Willie I was going Down Under so I’ve asked him to consider me and he said he will, so we’ll see!”

Mullins said: “Frankie has shown us what he can do. I thought he was beaten half a furlong out, I don’t know where Frankie got his energy from in the last 100 yards.

“He pulled that one out of the fire I thought, he was brilliant on him.

“He’s a monkey and he always is at home but he hasn’t done anything like that for a while (refused to go to the start). It’s what he does if you let him get away with it. He’s been very good at home recently but it is in him.

“I’ll have to have a word with the owners about Melbourne, they are at a family do today but I’m sure they’d love to go.

“He’ll have no problem passing the vet, if they do a brain scan he might have a problem!

“What a remarkable jockey, you guys have known for a long time but I thought Frankie was brilliant.”



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