NEWS
Arcano steals Prix Morny spotlight at Deauville
Posted: Sunday, August 23, 2009 3:46 PM
by Mike Curry
Canford Cliffs garnered much of the prerace hype for the Darley Prix Morny (Fr-G1) on Sunday at Deauville, but when the starting gate opened unbeaten Arcano stole the spotlight with a record-setting performance from off the pace.
The two-year-old Oasis Dream (GB) colt set a course and stakes record in his first start for new owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, completing 1,200 meters (5.97 furlongs) in 1:07.90 on turf rated as good to prevail by a head. Racing Post reported Arcano shaved a second off the course record and two seconds off the stakes record.
"It's a tremendous win because it's his first for his new owner. He's still a baby and is immature and wants stepping up in trip,” winning trainer Brian Meehan told Racing Post. “All options are open to him."
Arcano won his career debut at Newbury on June 11 and followed with a three-quarter-length score in the TNT July Stakes (Eng-G2) on July 9 at Newmarket.
"It was Sheikh Hamdan's idea to buy Arcano as he was so impressed with him when he won at Newmarket,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for Sheikh Hamdan.
Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Prix Robert Papin (Fr-G2) winner Special Duty, a chestnut Hennessy filly, finished a neck in front of Coventry Stakes (Eng-G2) winner and 4-to-9 favorite Canford Cliffs in the five-horse field.
The Prix Morny result led to a shakeup in the future wagering for the 2010 Stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) as Arcano was slashed to as low as 7-to-1 for the Newmarket classic and Canford Cliffs jumped from 4-to-1 to as high as 10-to-1.
Bred in Ireland by Yellow Bird Syndicate, Arcano is the first starter out of the Daylami (Ire) mare Tariysha.
Also on Sunday’s Deauville card, Alpine Rose held off Group 1 winner Lady Marian to win the Darley Prix Jean Romanet (Fr-G1) by a nose and secure her first victory at the highest level.
Alpine Rose won the Prix Corrida (Fr-G2) in May at Saint-Cloud and entered off a runner-up finish in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1) for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre. Sent off as the favorite on Sunday, the four-year-old Linamix filly completed 2,000 meters (9.94 furlongs) in 2:05.50.
"She came into season 48 hours before the race but we still had to run,” Royer-Dupre told Racing Post. “She has a good margin for further improvement and we are not necessarily obliged to take in the [Qatar] Prix Vermeille [(Fr-G1) on September 13].
"She is also engaged in the [Qatar] Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) but an alternative would be the [Qatar] Prix de l'Opera (Fr-G1). … We will keep all her options open."
Alpine rose improved to four wins in ten starts. A half sister to Group 1 winner Fragrant Mix (Ire), she is out of the stakes-winning Shirley Heights mare Fragrant Hill.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
