| Course: EPSOM | Race date:06/06/08 | Race time:3:25 | Runners:11 |
| Race distance:1m4f | Going:Good | Winners time:2m 36.83s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier Of Fortune | J Murtagh | A P O´Brien | 7 | 9-0 | 4 | 124 | 0 | 9/4 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1 | |
| Youmzain | Richard Hughes | M R Channon | 3 | 9-0 | 5 | 123 | 125 | 15/2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2 | ¾ |
| Macarthur | J A Heffernan | A P O´Brien | 10 | 9-0 | 4 | 122 | 0 | 12/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 3 | 1½ |
| Papal Bull | Ryan Moore | Sir Michael Stoute | 8 | 9-0 | 5 | 120 | 116 | 16/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 4 | nk |
| Getaway | S Pasquier | A Fabre | 11 | 9-0 | 5 | 118 | 0 | 5/4F | NA | NA | NA | NA | 5 | 1½ |
| Red Rocks | L Dettori | B J Meehan | 1 | 9-0 | 5 | 112 | 116 | 14/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 6 | 3½ |
| Turbo Linn | N Callan | G A Swinbank | 4 | 8-11 | 5 | 108 | 110 | 40/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 7 | ½ |
| Anna Pavlova | Paul Hanagan | R A Fahey | 2 | 8-11 | 5 | 101 | 112 | 33/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 8 | 4½ |
| Multidimensional | Ted Durcan | H R A Cecil | 9 | 9-0 | 5 | 96 | 111 | 33/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 9 | 5 |
| Big Robert | Martin Dwyer | W R Muir | 5 | 9-0 | 4 | 82 | 103 | 100/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 10 | 9 |
| Song Of Hiawatha | C O´Donoghue | A P O´Brien | 6 | 9-0 | 4 | 78 | 0 | 200/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 11 | 2½ |
Aidan O'Brien saddled three runners, and Song Of Hiawatha soon had a clear lead over stablemate Macarthur, who in turn was even further clear of the pack. Whether it was planned or not, it looked like a tactical triumph for the Ballydoyle team when favourite Getaway was hemmed in by the Irish Derby winner SOLDIER OF FORTUNE against the rail as the pair reeled in Macarthur, who had been the best part of six lengths clear going to the two-furlong marker. While Getaway was stuck in behind and needed pulling out, Soldier Of Fortune was taking his stablemate's measure, but that's not to say Getaway was unlucky.
Soldier Of Fortune, who had not been out since finishing a place behind Getaway in the Arc, got a bit warm and was sweating between his legs in the preliminaries, but it did not impair his performance and he was the best horse on the day. He looks set for further success at this level, and while O'Brien was not revealing a firm plan, he said the winner would be campaigned in the top races at either 1m2f or 1m4f. He is around 5-2 or 11-4 with the big firms for the King George, and only 3-1 with Ladbrokes for the Arc.
Having been held up at the rear in a race connections felt was not run to suit him, with the pack sitting so far off the two leaders, Youmzain came from a long way back for yet another Group 1 second, still closing on the winner at the finish but never getting there. Mick Channon is not ruling out another crack at the King George, in which Youmzain was second last year before occupying the same position behind Dylan Thomas in the Arc, but he is keen to win a race and so will give consideration to the Hardwicke, which ought to provide an easier opportunity.
The Ormonde winner Macarthur kept Song Of Hiawatha in his sights and raced clear of the rest. Having gone ahead approaching the straight and gone some six lengths clear, he was collared around a furlong out but kept on well enough for third - despite being tightened up a little by the winner in the last 50 yards or so. The Hardwicke might be the right sort of race for him too.
Getaway looked a potential superstar in the Jockey Club Stakes, but having again looked an impressive physical specimen in the preliminaries, he did not look happy out on the track. He was too keen in the early stages and then inclined to hang in to the rail when he and the winner went in pursuit of Macarthur. He would have been closer except for getting trapped behind Macarthur, but when he got out he did not appear to be moving well, and he did not really finish his race. That said, his trainer was not making any excuses bar the favourite's keenness. He was understandably pushed out to around 7-2 for the King George.
The 2006 Breeders'Cup winner Red Rocks has not looked quite the same since, and he did not need to run anywhere near his best to win at Lingfield on his reappearance. He got warm beforehand and was then a bit keen when leading the chasing group through the first few furlongs. He never looked like winning and was beaten the best part of eight lengths. He finished only just ahead of the Listed-race winner Turbo Linn, who had put up a top handicap performance off 109 in a handicap on herreappearance but was a bit outclassed here and could hardly have been expected to run any better than she did.
The drying ground was no help to the other mare, Anna Pavlova, who soon recovered from a slow start. Multidimensional was trying a new trip but one shouldn't draw too many conclusions from this, as he had a lot to do. So did Big Robert, who walked out of the stalls and was always at the rear of the field.
*Frankie Dettori reported that Red Rocks lost his action.
*Martin Dwyer reported that Big Robert did not move well.
*Ted Durcan reported that Multidimensional was never travelling. (GD)
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