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| Staff Writer |
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Ridden by jockey Ryan Moore, Auguste Rodin had to work hard to fend off sustained challenges from the French horses Zarakem and Horizon Dore. The winning distances were three-quarters of a length and a full length.
This victory marked Auguste Rodin's sixth win in Group One company, including last year's Derby and Irish Derby. It also secured trainer O’Brien's fifth victory in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, equaling the records of Sir Henry Cecil and John Gosden.
O’Brien said, “Auguste Rodin is a very special horse. He gets a mile and a half very well. I was probably giving instructions wrong all along, we were riding him too far back and if there was no pace in the race, he was too far out of the race.
“So we changed everything. Ryan said he was going to ride him positive, engage him straight away – he’ll get up there and cruise off any pace. He is very straightforward.
“I feel the blips were my fault, the instructions were wrong, and it took us to this time to start getting it right. We saw today that when he gets to the front, he waits, and then he goes again, and that’s what makes him very good.
On future plans, he added: “The lads will decide what they want to do. We give them the feedback and then they make a decision. He can do anything really.
“He can go to America... we were very surprised when he went to the dirt with the way he handled it. He cruises.”
Moore said: “Auguste Rodin is a proper horse. Okay, a few times it hasn't happened, but there have been reasons every time. The King George was maybe coming after a hard run in both Derbies, which is a hard thing to do.
"He took me there going very well, and when I asked him, he really showed great courage. He wanted to win. He has been a real good horse and did everything beautifully today – he deserved that."
“For Zarakem, this was his first time abroad and out of France, so it opens many, many doors, and we’ll see if we will be back for the King George in a few weeks’ time. We don’t want to rush him, and we can keep the Arc as a final target for the year,” said Jerome Reynier.
Pauline Chehboub, who manages Gousserie Racing, said: “We are very pleased with the performance of Horizon Dore. He showed again he is a Group One horse and we are very happy. We will see the plan for the second half of the season, but maybe it will be the Champion Stakes. He’s an easy horse, more and more macho with age – he’s a super horse.”
1st- Auguste Rodin | Owner: M Tabor/d Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerbe & Trainer: A P O'Brien
2nd- Zarakem | Owner: Ecurie Benaroussi Sofiane/Harasd'etreh & Trainer: J Reynier
3rd- Horizon Dore | Owner: Gousserie Racing/ec Gribomont/f Delaun & Trainer: P Cottier