Category: Big Races

Befitting the most prestigious race run in Europe, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is designed to bring together the best middle-distance horses from around the world. Subject to a weight-for-age allowances, for three-year-olds, and a weight-for-sex allowance, for fillies and mares, horses compete on equal terms, unpenalised for previous victories. Consquently, runaway winners of the “Arc” are something of a rarity, although three horses collectively hold th record for the widest winning margin, which currently stands at six lengths.

The first horse to put his rivals to the sword by that distance was the unbeaten Italian-trained champion, Ribot, who justified odds-on favouritism in facile style in 1956. Already an easy three-length winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the previous year, the Tenerani colt returned to Longchamp to beat a stronger field, headed by the the Irish Derby winner, Talgo, by even further on his second attempt.

In 1965, the French-trained Derby winner, Sea Bird, recorded another six-length verdict, which might have been further, but for drifting markedly left-handed in the closing stages. Last, but by no means least, Sakhee, trained in Britain by Saeed bin Suroor, dominated the opposition in 2001, powering clear for a six-length victory over the hitherto unbeaten filly Aquarelliste. It’s no coincidence that Sea Bird (145) and Ribot (142) remain the second and joint-sixth highest-rated Flat horses in the history of Timeform, respectively, while Sakhee (136) was also, unsurprisingly, rated in the “top class” bracket.

The second leg of the traditional “Autumn Double”, the Cesarewitch Handicap is run over two and a quarter miles at Newmarket in October. The title is derived from the Russian word “tsarevich”, the title awarded to the firstborn son of a tsar, and the race was so-named in honour of Alexander, the eldest son of Emperor Nicholas I, who ascended to the Russian throne in 1855.

The Cesarewitch is run on a wide, galloping, L-shaped course with a right-handed bend at halfway into what is, at a mile and a quarter, the longest home straight in the country. Consequently, despite the marathon distance covered, the general consensus is that horses drawn high in the Cesarewitch, which has a safety limit 34, are at a disadvantage. The last three winners were drawn 3 of 31, 9 of 21 and 6 of 32, but they were preceded by two winners drawn 20, of 34 and 30 runners respectively, and at least one horse drawn in the twenties has made the first three in all bar one of the last four renewals.

The Cesarewitch was inaugurated in 1839 and, in recent years, has posed a thorny puzzle for punters. Since 2000, just seven winners, four of which were sent off favourite, have been returned at single-figure prices and have been accompanied by winners at 66/1 (twice), 50/1 (twice) and 25/1. Indeed, one of the 66/1 winners was Aaim To Prosper, trained by Brian Meehan, who gamely repelled challengers in 2012, thereby supplementing his previous win, off a 20lb lower mark, two years previously to become the first, and so far only, horse to win the Cesarewitch Handicap twice.

The late Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, 2022, aged 96, was the longest-serving monarch of the United Kingdom. Her Majesty was also, arguably, the most enthusiastic Royal owner, breeder and racegoer in British history. A regular attendee at the Derby at Epsom and, of course, Royal Ascot – where she celebrated 24 winners as an owner, including Estimate in a historic Gold Cup in 2013 – won every British Classic except the Derby.

As an owner, the Queen was not averse to the occasional foray abroad. In June 1974, for example, she was in attendance at Chantilly Racecourse, in Northern France, to witness the victory of Highclere, trained by Dick Hern and ridden by Joe Mercer, in the Prix de Diane, or “French Oaks”. The Queen’s Hussar filly had already won the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but opted for an extended mile and a quarter at Chantilly, rather than a mile and a half at Epsom.

Her Majesty did, in fact, make one attempt to win the most important Australian race, the Melbourne Cup. On November 4, 1997, the familiar Royal colours – scarlet and purple with gold braid and a black cap – were worn by Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori aboard Arabian Story, trained by Lord Huntingdon, William Hastings-Bass, in West Ilsley, Berkshire. Sent off at 25/1 for ‘the race that stops a nation’, the four-year-old son of high-class miler Sharrood never really threatened at Flemington Racecourse, but nonetheless kept on well throughout the final quarter of a mile to finish sixth, beaten 3½ lengths, behind the winner Might And Power.

Anyone who witnessed the 1981 Derby first-hand, including your correspondent, may find it hard to believe that it’s the better part of four-and-a-half decades since Shergar turned the Epsom Classic into a procession. Of course, the name of Shergar would become infamous beyond the racing world when two years later, having been syndicated for £10 million to stand at the Ballymany Stud in Co. Kildare, he was abducted by masked gunmen and never seen again. In all probability, he was slaughtered by Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) shortly afterwards, but no-one has ever officially claimed reponsibility and his remains have never been found.

Anyway, back to happier times on Epsom Downs on June 3, 1981. Trained by Michael Stoute, in the days before his knighthood, and ridden by a youthful Walter Swinburn, Shergar was sent off 10/11 favourite after wide-margin wins in both the Sandown Classic Trial and the Chester Vase. To say the market support was justified is an understatement, because Shergar cruised to victory by a record margin of ten lengths. Indeed, as he drew further and further clear inside the final quarter of a mile, BBC Radio 2 commentator Peter Bromley had cause to exclaim, ‘There’s only one horse in it! You need a telescope to see the rest!’

A respectful distance, although clear second-best, came the Derby Italiano winner Glint Of Gold, trained by Ian Balding and ridden by John Matthias. In a post-race interview, Matthias reportedly said, ‘I thought I’d won. Shergar had gone so far clear I didn’t see him.’ Balding, though, was less fanciful in his appraisal, saying much later, ‘Glint Of Gold did get a bad start and came from a long way back. I’m sure John did see him.’