Sea The Stars slams Fame and Glory; odds cut to 3/2 for the Arc
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from Sporting Life:
Sea The Stars' homecoming managed to exceed even the loftiest of expectations as he gave his most visually impressive performance to date in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
It was both a welcome and farewell to Ireland for John Oxx's colt, who took the 2000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse and International in England and has the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as his next priority.
Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle have been on the wrong end of Sea The Stars all season and after their last genuine hope Fame And Glory was mastered by two and a half lengths, it now appears that the winner's only remaining challenge is how far he can ascend the list of history's greats.
There were posters all around Leopardstown promoting the battle between Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory - but it was a match that was in jeopardy earlier in the week with the habitually cautious Oxx concerned the ground could be too soft.
Becalmed by a Friday afternoon inspection of going officially good to yielding, Oxx allowed him to run and as a returning 4-6 favourite, the unflappable son of Cape Cross was treated to a reception fitting for the giant he has become.
"He's heavier now than at any stage of his career and really thriving," said Oxx.
"We'd have been disappointed to miss the race but at the end of the day, it was an easy decision to run as I was pleasantly surprised with the way the course had dried out when I visited last night.
"It was always going to be a bit less than what we feel is his perfect going but we thought he could win anyway, such was confidence in him.
"He was just in great form and has a constitution like no other.
"He actually won by more than a length for a change! Mick even pushed him out a bit and won a bit further, which he usually doesn't do."
As the Currabeg-based trainer and owner Christopher Tsui have stated all season, future plans are not set in stone, but Longchamp remains favoured.
Asked about the next run again, Oxx said: "I don't know. The horse will decide that rather than the trainer or the owner.
"The Arc is the next one coming up, but this horse has had a race every month from May to September in top company.
"We are not making it easier for him or giving him a typical Arc preparation as you couldn't be sure you would get the ground. "We're taking it one race at a time.
"We'd have to look at the Arc first and if he didn't run in that, he'd finish up in either the Champion Stakes at Newmarket or Santa Anita, but that's a long way away and could be a bridge too far.
"He's one of these landmark horses that come along every 25-30 years and people will always remember him."
With O'Brien fielding five of the nine-strong field, it was no surprise to see outsider Set Sail and Rockhampton rushed up to the lead in the early stages, but Kinane used his wealth of experience and bided his time.
He was right on the heels of Fame And Glory (9-4) a couple of furlongs from home and, as it was in the Derby, Sea The Stars was simply too good.
"I was happy just to sit there," explained the veteran rider, now a seven-times winner of Ireland's most prestigious race.
"Mastercraftsman just started to show distress signals as we got halfway round the bend, but I didn't want to go on three furlongs out.
"Johnny Murtagh (Fame And Glory) made the jump and tried to get first run, but I was happy to let him do that.
"This is a great horse, he's capable of anything and he took his last race better than any race so far this year.
"I've never ridden a better one that can do what he can do at any distance."
Mastercraftsman stuck on for third to give Aidan O'Brien a clean sweep of the minor places, with stablemate Grand Ducal fourth.
O'Brien reflected: "It was a properly, strongly run race. You're always hopeful, but the second horse ran his best coming back off a break and we are looking forward to his next run.
"He will go up to a mile and a half for the Arc. The third horse just didn't get the last part of the race, as we feared, and will go back to a mile.
"Sea The Stars is a great horse, and if he hadn't been here, Fame And Glory would have won."
Sea The Stars' homecoming managed to exceed even the loftiest of expectations as he gave his most visually impressive performance to date in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
It was both a welcome and farewell to Ireland for John Oxx's colt, who took the 2000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse and International in England and has the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as his next priority.
Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle have been on the wrong end of Sea The Stars all season and after their last genuine hope Fame And Glory was mastered by two and a half lengths, it now appears that the winner's only remaining challenge is how far he can ascend the list of history's greats.
There were posters all around Leopardstown promoting the battle between Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory - but it was a match that was in jeopardy earlier in the week with the habitually cautious Oxx concerned the ground could be too soft.
Becalmed by a Friday afternoon inspection of going officially good to yielding, Oxx allowed him to run and as a returning 4-6 favourite, the unflappable son of Cape Cross was treated to a reception fitting for the giant he has become.
"He's heavier now than at any stage of his career and really thriving," said Oxx.
"We'd have been disappointed to miss the race but at the end of the day, it was an easy decision to run as I was pleasantly surprised with the way the course had dried out when I visited last night.
"It was always going to be a bit less than what we feel is his perfect going but we thought he could win anyway, such was confidence in him.
"He was just in great form and has a constitution like no other.
"He actually won by more than a length for a change! Mick even pushed him out a bit and won a bit further, which he usually doesn't do."
As the Currabeg-based trainer and owner Christopher Tsui have stated all season, future plans are not set in stone, but Longchamp remains favoured.
Asked about the next run again, Oxx said: "I don't know. The horse will decide that rather than the trainer or the owner.
"The Arc is the next one coming up, but this horse has had a race every month from May to September in top company.
"We are not making it easier for him or giving him a typical Arc preparation as you couldn't be sure you would get the ground. "We're taking it one race at a time.
"We'd have to look at the Arc first and if he didn't run in that, he'd finish up in either the Champion Stakes at Newmarket or Santa Anita, but that's a long way away and could be a bridge too far.
"He's one of these landmark horses that come along every 25-30 years and people will always remember him."
With O'Brien fielding five of the nine-strong field, it was no surprise to see outsider Set Sail and Rockhampton rushed up to the lead in the early stages, but Kinane used his wealth of experience and bided his time.
He was right on the heels of Fame And Glory (9-4) a couple of furlongs from home and, as it was in the Derby, Sea The Stars was simply too good.
"I was happy just to sit there," explained the veteran rider, now a seven-times winner of Ireland's most prestigious race.
"Mastercraftsman just started to show distress signals as we got halfway round the bend, but I didn't want to go on three furlongs out.
"Johnny Murtagh (Fame And Glory) made the jump and tried to get first run, but I was happy to let him do that.
"This is a great horse, he's capable of anything and he took his last race better than any race so far this year.
"I've never ridden a better one that can do what he can do at any distance."
Mastercraftsman stuck on for third to give Aidan O'Brien a clean sweep of the minor places, with stablemate Grand Ducal fourth.
O'Brien reflected: "It was a properly, strongly run race. You're always hopeful, but the second horse ran his best coming back off a break and we are looking forward to his next run.
"He will go up to a mile and a half for the Arc. The third horse just didn't get the last part of the race, as we feared, and will go back to a mile.
"Sea The Stars is a great horse, and if he hadn't been here, Fame And Glory would have won."