Tag Archive for: Grand Alliance

Setback scuppers Grand Alliance’s Cadran hopes

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Grand Alliance will not take up his entry in the Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp on Saturday after suffering a season-ending setback.

Winner of the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury in the spring, the four-year-old was subsequently well held in both the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting.

However, stepped up to just shy of two miles for the Group Two Prix Kergorlay at Deauville last month, Grand Alliance bounced back to form to finish second under Ryan Moore, giving trainer Charlie Fellowes more options for the future.

But while the Newmarket handler had the option of sending his stable star back to France on Arc weekend, he has now been forced to draw stumps for the year.

Charlie Fellowes had hoped Grand Alliance would run in France
Charlie Fellowes had hoped Grand Alliance would run in France (Mike Egerton/PA)

He said: “Unfortunately Grand Alliance had a setback after France and we just decided to call it a day for the year. We’ll give him some time and hopefully he’ll be a nice stayer next year.

“He stayed the two miles well at Deauville, so it opens up a lot of doors. Ryan felt he’d stay as far as you want him to.”

Another horse who held an entry at ParisLongchamp for Fellowes is Marbaan, winner of last year’s Vintage Stakes at Goodwood and third in the Lennox on his return to the Sussex Downs last month.

However, the trainer revealed the son of Oasis Dream will not contest Prix de la Foret, having left his yard to continue his career in Dubai.

Staying campaign on Grand Alliance agenda

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Grand Alliance opened up a new range of options when going down gallantly to Sober in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville on Sunday.

The Charlie Fellowes-trained four-year-old split the two best stayers in France with Prix Maurice de Nieuil winner The Good Man back in third.

Despite being a half-brother to top seven-furlong specialist Dutch Connection, the gelding, who was bred by owners Paul and Susan Roy, now looks to have found his niche.

“He ran very well. In fairness, we stepped him up in trip on the advice of Ryan Moore after he had only ridden him once and as Ryan so often is, he was right,” said Fellowes.

“We always thought he was very ground dependent but going over two miles, he can run round in third gear rather than fifth.

“Sober and The Good Man are the two best stayers in France and he’s split them. The ground drying out probably just suited Sober more than us.

“Looking at his pedigree, you wouldn’t think he would stay a yard further than a mile, but the staying trips seem to suit him and it’s opened up a load more doors.

“There’s obviously the Cadran (September 30) and the Doncaster Cup (September 15) but that is not too far apart, so it will be one or the other on the way to Ascot.

“That’s two and a quarter miles at Donny, but Ryan suggested it and it makes sense as he’s won there before, it’s left-handed and Flat, so it could well be Donny and then Ascot on Champions Day.

“With the Prix Royal-Oak being two-five, that might just be stretching him a bit too far, but hopefully his owners can now have some fun with him.”

Grand Alliance to step up in trip on advice of Ryan Moore

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Charlie Fellowes will step the quirky but talented Grand Alliance up in distance on his next start on the advice of Ryan Moore.

The four-year-old infamously threw away the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer when hanging badly but still only losing out by a nose. The visor he wore that day has subsequently been replaced by cheekpieces and he has since been gelded.

He came good with a facile success in the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury in April, but disappointed on his return to the Royal meeting for the Hardwicke last month and has since finished a tailed off last of four in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.

Moore was on board Grand Alliance for the first time at the July meeting and while the prevailing first ground appeared an obvious excuse for his below-par effort, the rider took a different view.

Fellowes said: “Grand Alliance is a funny character and a lot of people said ‘why did you run him on ground you knew was too quick?’, but a lot of the time you don’t learn about horses sitting at home.

“We had booked Ryan Moore, who is just an outstanding jockey, and I felt we’d learn more about the horse by running than we would staying at home.

“Ryan got off him and said ‘this horse, in my opinion, is crying out for a step up in trip’. He said ‘I don’t think his attitude is a problem’. He’s been called a lot of names in the past, but Ryan felt he really worked for him and he just said ‘I could not go quick enough’.

“Ryan said ‘step up to two miles and see what happens, yes it was good to firm, but in my opinion the ground wasn’t a problem, the problem was the trip’.”

Fellowes will therefore test Grand Alliance over a longer trip next time and has identified a suitable race in France next month.

“We’ve got an eye on the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville, which is over a mile and seven furlongs and he should get a little bit of cut in the ground,” the trainer added.

“That’s the race I’ve got pencilled in at the moment and that should tell us whether we need to drop back to a mile and a half when the ground really does get soft or if we stay the trip over two miles, ridden patiently, maybe it opens up a few more doors.

“It’s a little bit of a fact-finding mission and I still feel like we haven’t quite worked the horse out, but it’ll be interesting to try what Ryan says.”

Grand Alliance powers clear for deserved big-race prize

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Grand Alliance finally landed the prize his undoubted talent hinted he was capable of when causing an upset in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes at Newbury.

The Charlie Fellowes-trained four-year-old finished 11th in the Derby behind Desert Crown last year, and subsequently looked like winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot only to hang badly left and lose out in a photo.

Gelded last autumn, he shaped with promise when third to Max Vega in the St Simon Stakes and over the same course and distance in a Group Three registered as the John Porter he turned the form around with that rival in no uncertain terms.

Sent off an 18-1 chance under birthday boy James Doyle, Grand Alliance seemed to relish the soft ground and while the likes of Hurricane Lane and Mojo Star – first and second in the 2021 St Leger – were all at sea in the straight, the winner scooted clear.

There were still signs of his temperament, veering away sharply to his left inside the final furlong, but thankfully he had the race won by then.

The outsider of the field, Farhan, on just his second start for Phil Kirby, ran on to be second, beaten two and a quarter lengths.

Fellowes: “He has done that to a pretty decent field. I know that two outsiders finished first and second, but they were a good bunch and he has done it pretty handily in the end. I don’t think he was doing a huge amount out in front.

“I know he has a Yorkshire Cup entry, but James said afterwards he wouldn’t be jumping to step up further in trip, so I think I need to have a sit down and talk to the owner (Paul Roy) and make a plan.

“He was on and off the bridle, but that’s him. He has got a lot better than he was last year. He was particularly quirky last year and he’s settled down a lot.

“I’ve been delighted with him over the winter and, walking around the paddock, I thought he’d done really well physically. I don’t know why watching him go round with a saddle on made me see how well he had done, but he looked fantastic.

“I think he goes on any ground. It was rattling quick when he threw that race away at Ascot.”

Grand Alliance poses for the camera
Grand Alliance poses for the camera (PA)

Doyle added: “He was on and off the bridle, but that is always what he has done. He has always hinted he has been pretty good.

“Arguably he should have won at Royal Ascot last year, but he just hung across the track.

“He is very versatile ground-wise, it is amazing when you look at him – as he’s got such small feet – that he does go on this type of heavy ground.

“He does go on fast ground, so hopefully we can have a bit of fun with him.

“On better ground he could possibly go up to a Yorkshire Cup trip, but on testing ground like it is today, I think this trip is about right. It felt like a long last furlong.”