Queenstown deservedly sheds Group 1 maiden label in France

Aidan O’Brien bagged his 25th Group 1 win of the season after Queenstown powered away to a record-breaking win in the €350,000 (S$500,000) Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak (3,100m) at Saint-Cloud on Oct 25.

The Irish master trainer’s score reached the two-dozen mark two races earlier when even-money Drumbeat captured the €250,000 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (2,000m).

Both Queenstown and Drumbeat are Coolmore wards ridden by O’Brien’s No. 1 jockey Ryan Moore.

A six-year-old gelding by Galileo, Queenstown ($16) turned France’s last Group 1 event into a true stamina test by carting up his seven rivals at a steady pace from barrier rise.

Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent (Luke Morris) loomed as the only threat inside the last two furlongs, chipping away at the margin with every stride, but fell short by three parts of a length at the wire.

Rank-outsider Highara (Marvin Grandin) gatecrashed a O’Brien 1-3 party by hanging on combatively for third place another 4½ lengths away, just denying Queenstown’s fast-finishing stable companion Amelia Earhart (Wayne Lordan) by a head.

The romance of the race was hanging on country horse Jabracadabra springing an upset for the little-known duo of French-based English trainer Amy Murphy and young Belgian jockey Ebbe Verhestaeten, but they could only run fifth, though they were brave in defeat.

After nearly claiming his first Group 1 success in the British Champions Long Distance Cup (3,200m) at Ascot on Oct 17, when a three-quarter-length second to Mount Atlas, Queenstown finally made it one week later at his third career win.

Two weeks earlier, he actually had had another shot at elite level, running third to Caballo De Mar in the Prix du Cadran (4,000m) at ParisLongchamp on Arc day on Oct 3, all in keeping with his three previous Group 1 placings in staying contests, including a second place to local runner Arrow Eagle in last year’s Prix Royal-Oak.

O’Brien for one was delighted Queenstown’s grit and honesty have been rewarded at the highest level, with the record-breaking time of 3min 21.58sec a welcomed bonus.

“We’re very happy with this success. He has been running close between runs, but has again shown his true worth,” he said.

“His jockey also rode a magnificent race by controlling the pace up front.

“This horse is a tough campaigner and should be even more competitive in feature races next year, together with his stablemate Scandinavia.”

Besides the Group 1 feat in France, back on his home turf, O’Brien has all but sealed a ninth British champion trainer’s title after Giant Sequoia captured the Group 1 William Hill Futurity Trophy (1,600m) at Doncaster one day earlier on Oct 24.