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Soumillon delight as Valixir has Rakti on the rack
THE WHIP was a souvenir for the Royal Ascot at York crowd, the scalp of Rakti was Christophe Soumillon’s keepsake from the biggest day of his racing life outside France on Tuesday.
At home he is the most charismatic figure on the French racing scene, a winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Prix du Jockey-Club twice and still only 24. Yet in Britain, where Dettori reigns, the only big race success from five wins was his 2003 Racing Post Trophy success on American Post.
Hence the euphoric celebration from the Belgian at York on Tuesday after his mount Valixir had comfortably defeated Rakti, who had shown his bad-tempered alter ego before the race, to secure a memorable Queen Anne Stakes victory - an occasion he marked by twirling his whip in the air before tossing into high into the crowd.
"This is my first win at York and my first at the Royal Meeting," he said. "It is so nice to win races like this. Today is so wonderful so I gave my whip away.
"Many horses come here from France but to win races like this today shows that we have good horses in France too. I want to ride in more races here so it is important to ride in the championship races. One day I hope to come here all week."
That Soumillon was able to toast his success was due not just to an accomplished display by the Aga Khan-owned colt but also to Rakti, whose chance evaporated when the Lockinge Stakes winner boiled over before the race.
Philip Robinson attempted to reproduce the tacticsof the Newbury win but the pair were reined in by Valixir who went on at the two-furlong marker to triumph by a length and half with Starcraft completing a satisfactory British debut in finishing third.
Soumillon said: "I wanted to follow Rakti more and was waiting, waiting and waiting and when I wanted to take a breath he wanted to go on so I came too early.
"I had two or three bumps from the horse on my outside when turning for home which upset his balance a bit but really it was a perfect race.
"Before the race I didn’t think about winning because I knew that Rakti was an unbelievable horse, that’s why I was so excited after passing the post and threw my whip into the crowd."
The majority of the Aga Khan’s horses in France are stabled with Alain de Royer Dupre but the owner’s link with Fabre is a relatively new alliance.
"I have not had horses with Andre Fabre until recently and he is an outstanding trainer," said the owner. "It looked as though Rakti wasn’t going togo on and I think Christophe found himself in front a bit earlier than he expected.
"The horse surprised me today in the sense that he has improved. In the D’Ispahan there was some uncertainty about the other horses around him, but here he was clear all of the way."
Starcraft had proved himself a major performer over a range of distances in Australia and delighted connections on his first start here.
Trainer Luca Cumani said of the third home: "He ran really well for first time out, and he probably just needed it. I would say I am satisfied today, but hope to be happy next time. I don’t know where he will go to next - we’ll have to sit down and have a talk about it." |