As expected, Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex S. was all about TDN Rising Star Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) who was able to dictate and dominate in Goodwood's heavily rain-softened ground and register a fourth straight top-level success. While his 1 1/2-length verdict over Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) is hardly inspiring stuff, the 4-9 favourite never looked likely to surrender his admirable sequence with Ryan Moore on the stand's rail throughout the closing stages which probably made for more tense watching than the winner's connections had expected.
The time of 1:47.16 was over 10 seconds outside standard time and represented more of a “French-style” mostly slow and then quick test which is not what the eventual last Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) least wants. She was the only one to truly put it up to the Ballydoyle colt, but she was spent two out, with the minor placings filled out by Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) three lengths behind Facteur Cheval in third in this GI Breeders' Cup Mile qualifier.
“He is thriving on racing and is a very uncomplicated horse,” Moore said. “He's won on fast and very bad ground here over a mile and a mile and a quarter and you can ride him however you like, it doesn't matter. He's a very unique horse–every time he comes to the races he feels like he loves it. Some people say he's taken us by surprise, but I can assure you he hasn't because all this year he's shown he's a very good horse.”
“I had everything on my own terms early on and wanted to go as gently as I could and get to the fence, but Frankie did what he could and we started racing too early really,” Moore added. “His filly was gone at the two and look where she ended up, but he's still got plenty left. There is every chance he could stay a mile and a half, he's out of a Montjeu mare, but we've got a bit of time and we'll see how he comes out of this race. It is a hard thing to say, but he gives you the feel that he might be as good a horse as I have ridden. He is exceptional. Someone asked me yesterday if he would go on this ground and I said 'he would go on snow'.”
The tale of this race was already largely predictable even before the persistent rain, with the presence of the favourite having already scared some meaningful opposition off to Deauville. With only Inspiral on his wavelength, his task was made all the easier as it dictated how the tactics would play out. It was a case of “after you” from the start and given how rapid Paddington always is from the gates it quickly became a matter of when Frankie would attack and a play for second from the other three.
Inspiral was inclined to pull off the moderate pace, which only served to further diminish her threat already lessened by the way the ground was riding and the moment of truth came as she was placed alongside Paddington straightening for home. Forcing the favourite into a sectional of :11.58 from the three to the two, she was soon tired and backtracking with a Jacques le Marois defence in Dettori's mind as Paddington forged a :11.92 penultimate split to kill the contest. Facteur Cheval was impressively fast for most of the final three furlongs and for all that he failed to get alongside the winner, he at least made Moore employ the whip.
Where next for Paddington? With a constitution like his, turning up in Normandy in 11 days' time for the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois is not out of the question, but it seems to be all about the Giant's Causeway route with Aidan O'Brien mentioning York's Ebor Festival in the immediate aftermath. “I think the Juddmonte International definitely has to be on the cards,” he said. “It's amazing that he is getting ready to run again so quickly after each race–he was three to four kilos heavier today than the last day which wasn't that long ago.”
“Paddington is much quicker than the Giant was,” the master of Ballydoyle added. “He's tactically quick but he can quicken as well. The Giant was tactically quick and was dour after that. This horse can really turn it on when you have to, on all types of ground. He is unique.”
“You always worry about having that extra weight on him in that ground, as it makes it more of a test of endurance rather than speed and speed is his big thing,” O'Brien concluded. “The tougher the race, the better he is getting and he wasn't stressed after the race here. Everything is open to him–Tom has mentioned the option of going to Australia, so we'll maybe look at York with him next time and see then. He could do anything–he's very special, we think. We made the Arc entry also, because Ryan says there doesn't seem to be any end to his stamina.”
Peter Brant, who has an interest in Paddington, was on hand to witness the race on his first visit to Goodwood and said, “I must say this is among the greatest horses I've been proud enough to own. We won the Kentucky Derby in 1984 with a horse called Swale who was a great racehorse, but this horse has done a lot of special things that are hard to do. To win four Group 1s like this in such a short space of time and to look as grand as he does and to be gaining weight and not losing it is extraordinary.”
Jerome Reynier was understandably delighted with the effort of the runner-up, who is set to come back to England later in the year. “It's like a victory today,” he said. “We really thought he was going to beat Paddington, but he had the stands rail and we were in the middle of the track and he was stuck in the middle of traffic. He ran a great race, he was third in a Group 1 the other day and second today in a very nice group one and I hope the next time we will be able to win at that level.”
“We never thought he was going to be able to run that way, but he keeps improving mentally and physically so probably the best is yet to come,” Reynier added. “Fingers crossed, he will be coming back in good shape and we can aim for the Queen Elizabeth at the end of the year with him. There are two options beforehand–the Moulin de Longchamp or the Woodbine Mile in Canada. Maybe we will wait until his is a 5-year-old for an international campaign.”
Frankie Dettori said of Inspiral, “We tried, but it was very obvious that she doesn't cope with this kind of ground. If the ground dries up and she comes out of this race, we can back her up in the race she won in France last year. It was obvious what was going to happen–Paddington got a lead and everything his own way, but I had to make a race of it.”
Pedigree Notes
Paddington, who was bred and raised at Monceaux for the Wildensteins, achieved the joint-second-highest price of €420,000 at the 2021 Arqana October Sale. As far as Arc claims are concerned, his dam Modern Eagle stayed 12 1/2 furlongs on heavy ground when winning the Listed Prix Belle de Nuit and was also responsible for Masterpiece (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) who stayed 14 furlongs when third in the 2020 Khor Al Adaid Cup at Doha.
Modern Eagle, a daughter of the G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Millionaia (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), is also kin to Mighty Blue (Fr) by Montjeu's son Authorized (Ire) who was successful in the 14-furlong Listed Vintage Tipple S. and third in the two-mile G3 Loughbrown S. before going hurdling. The third dam is the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Moonlight Dance (Alysheba), whose other descendants include the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris scorer Ming Dynasty (Fr) (King's Best) and the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Heartbreak City (Fr) (Lando {Ger}).
Wednesday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR SUSSEX S.-G1, £1,000,000, Goodwood, 8-2, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:47.16, sf.
1–PADDINGTON (GB), 129, c, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Modern Eagle (Ger) (SW-Fr), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Millionaia (Ire), by Peintre Celebre
3rd Dam: Moonlight Dance, by Alysheba
TDN Rising Star. (€420,000 Ylg '21 ARQDOY). O-Tabor/Smith/
Magnier/Westerberg/Brant; B-Dayton Investments Ltd (GB);
T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £567,100. Lifetime Record:
G1SW-Ire, 8-7-0-0, $2,082,332. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree,
or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Facteur Cheval (Ire), 136, g, 4, Ribchester (Ire)–Jawlaat (Ire),
by Shamardal. (145,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; €120,000 Ylg '20
ARDEAY). O-Team Valor International LLC & Gary Barber;
B-McCracken Farms (IRE); T-Jerome Reynier. £215,000.
3–Charyn (Ire), 129, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Futoon (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Mr Nurlan
Bizakov; B-Grangemore Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £107,600.
Margins: 1HF, 3, HF. Odds: 0.44, 11.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: Aldaary (GB), Inspiral (GB). Scratched: Chindit (Ire). VIDEO.
Paddington makes all in the Qatar Sussex Stakes!
The top-class colt and Irish Guineas, St James's Palace and Eclipse hero brings up a brilliant Group 1 four-timer in one of the premier mile events in the European calendar for Ryan Moore and @Ballydoyle
@Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/pKRjJjG9hl
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 2, 2023
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