Into the Cosmos

The 2010 renewal of the St Leger at Doncaster took main stage this Saturday as Arctic Cosmos snatched victory from the lacklustre efforts of Rewilding. The going was always going to be an issue for Godolphin’s Rewilding and the mount of Frankie Dettori would have opted for a little less moisture than was present.

The uneasy 11-8 early morning fancy left the stalls at a more fitting 11-10 chance but Frankie was working hard from three furlongs out. The book made the race look like there was only ever going to be one winner offering each way value in anything else in the field. Dandino owned by the Elite Racing Club, the same syndicate who basked in the successes of Soviet Song years ago looked to be the smaller punters interest but the 3 year old colt failed to impress under Paul Mulrennan finishing 8th in the field of 10 runners.


William Buick took the honours for Jamie Gosden aboard Arctic Cosmos registering a length and three quarter success over Aiden O’ Brien’s Midas Touch and third placed outsider of the field Corsica placing at 40-1 after touching 66-1 earlier in the day.

Speculation earlier in the week led to the possibility that Rewilding could have been keeping a little in the tank if his proposed interest in the Arc de Triomphe bears fruition. But if this is true he will want a drying track for his run.


Elsewhere Sans Frontieres provided the recovery at the Curragh for favourite backers returning at 13-8 under an Olivier Peslier ride. Jeremy Noseda’s four year old colt stayed on well recording a victory of three quarters of a length over Profound Beauty in the 1 mile 6 furlong event.

Rip'ped apart by O'Brien pacemaker

CAPE'able Aiden O'Brien dominates in Ireland while McCoy shows what is to come after the flat season!

(Rip Van Wincle: Beaten by Cape Blanco in Ireland)

It was not all fun and games this Saturday at Leapardstown as hot jolly Rip Van Wincle failed to make the cut allowing O'Brien's "pacemaker" to claim the rewards of the Irish showpiece.

We may have all been fooled this weekend with winner of the Irish Derby Cape Blanco destroying the all star field seeing Henry Cecil's Twice Over and O'Briens favoured horse Rip Van Wincle winner of the Juddmonte International at York left behind in the wake of a five and a half length success.


That was no small feat either, to be victorious by five lengths in a field containing the best flat horses around while making them look like debutants Cape Blanco under a confident Heffernan ride stole the show...and it must be said, the punters money.


At 8/11 Rip Van Wincle could not seem to get a smooth voyage through to head proceedings as he appeared to be boxed in and lose valuable pace and ground on the eventual winner. From the start of the race O Brien's second string led and seemed to never run out of steam making the event look like a stroll in the park and giving Aiden O'Brien his seventh winner in the event.


Across the water at Haydock Park O'Brien was teeing up for the Sprint Cup with Starspangledbanner until Markhab ruined the festivities with the O'Brien horse beaten three and three quarter lengths into fifth spot giving jockey Pat Cosgrove a share of the £163,810 prize money.


This week sees the opening of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster on Wednesday to mark the closure of the flat racing season. AP McCoy was at Fontwell Park today to give punters a taster of what is to come in the winter months with the champion's performance on the heavily backed Another Trump for trainer Jonjo O'Neill in the opener at Worcester today in a typical AP finish.

(A P erfect finish: McCoy riding out a finish)