Often the highest standard of racing is witnessed during the second half of the season, as horses begin to reach their peak, and I believe that this year has been true to form, with some exhilarating racing unfolding in England, Ireland and France.
While the major race meetings at Doncaster, Goodwood, Newmarket, York and Newbury continue to set the standard, Longchamp in France, where racing is regularly of the highest standard in the world, served up the performance of the week on Sunday.
If any of your friends tell you that they were not overwhelmed by Treve’s performance in the Prix Vermeille, a crucial prep for the mother of all races, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, then you need to rethink the friendship.
Criquette Head-Maarek’s stable flag-bearer looked absolutely stunning as she disdainfully brushed aside her rivals to literally canter home a winner. It was an exhibition of sheer class and, on the strength of what we all saw, she will take all the beating as she bids to become the first horse in history to win the Paris showpiece three times in a row.
Ridden with the greatest respect by veteran Thierry Jarnet, Treve looked even better than she did 12 months ago when displaying a breathtaking, if ever so gentle, turn of foot to put the trial to bed and send the bookmakers running for cover.
Leading British bookmakers put her performance in perspective when they went as low as 4/5 for the October 4 Arc, even as another French performer, Andre Fabre’s Prix Neil winner New Bay, replaced John Gosden’s Derby, Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes hero Golden Horn as the 2/1 second favourite.
It was also very illuminating to listen to Head-Maarek talk to journalists after Treve was given a rapturous welcome into the winner’s enclosure.
She was clearly not interested in getting carried away too much and, keeping her feet firmly on the ground, she talked her way through Treve’s preparations, his chances at Longchamp next month and the future of her stable flagbearer.
Only once did she stray from her usual serious dialogue to say that she was looking at the betting and that she saw that the bookmakers had dropped the odds on Treve. Her response was a tongue-in-cheek — ‘I think they are scared!’
They would have to be and so will all the connections of other Arc hopefuls. The bar has been set at the highest and their contenders will have to come up with the performance to a lifetime if they hope to beat a horse who clearly loves the ground at Longchamp. And loves winning as well.
I believe we will witness history being written at the stylish Paris racecourse in three weeks’ time. Mark your calendars!
