By Tom Frary
Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak produced an unsatisfactory outcome, as while no racing fan would begrudge the journeyman stayer Holdthasigreen (Fr) (Hold That Tiger) his moment in the spotlight there was an incident after the first six furlongs that almost certainly affected the outcome. As the field crossed Chantilly's all-weather track, Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) tried to run out and took the favourite Brundtland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) with him with the pair losing several lengths. Shortly after, the 6-1 shot Holdthasigreen took over the lead and despite the efforts of Brundtland in the straight was always in control and had a 3/4-of-a-length advantage at the line over Called To The Bar (Ire) (Henrythenavigator), with Morgan Le Faye (GB) (Shamardal) finishing strongly to be a further short neck behind in third. Brundtland was only another short neck away in fourth, a head in front of Flag of Honour in fifth lending some doubt as to the reliability of the result as a strict measure of the merit of the main protagonists. For part-owner and breeder Jean Gilbert, the earlier events took no shine off his red-letter day. “What a fantastic horse, he's such a character and a fighter,” he said of the 6-year-old, who had been denied only by Call the Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prix du Cadran three weeks earlier at ParisLongchamp. “We thought he'd win the Cadran, so we were a little bit disappointed but he has bounced back nicely. Everything went perfectly well and Tony [Piccone] knows him so well and how to use him. He has never let us down and we look forward to next year.”
For Holdthasigreen, whose 2-year-old half-brother by Sri Putra (GB) named Sridedgreen (Fr) has yet to race, this was a natural culmination of a career which has crept towards it for some time. Winning his first pattern race in the G2 Darley Prix Kergorlay at Deauville Aug. 19, the chestnut who was third in this last year had split Called To the Bar and Morgan Le Faye when giving the former four pounds in the G3 Prix Gladiateur at ParisLongchamp Sept. 9. Called To the Bar's trainer Pia Brandt was looking forward to 2019 with the runner-up. “He ran a lovely race and is a consistent horse who is still very young,” she comented. “I'm not going to take him to Dubai, we will wait and follow the stayers' program in Europe next season. I wanted to wait until next year to run over further and he'll be ready then.”
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX ROYAL-OAK-G1, €350,000, Chantilly, 10-28, 3yo/up, 15fT, 3:18.17, g/s.
1–HOLDTHASIGREEN (FR), 130, g, 6, by Hold That Tiger
1st Dam: Greentathir (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
2nd Dam: Lady Honorgreen (Fr), by Hero's Honor
3rd Dam: Homer Green (Ire), by Homeric (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Jean Gilbert & Claude Le Lay (FR); T-Bruno Audouin; J-Tony Piccone. €199,990. Lifetime Record: 27-12-4-4, €690,625. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Called To the Bar (Ire), 130, g, 4, Henrythenavigator–Perfect Hedge (GB), by Unfuwain. O/B-Fair Salinia Ltd (IRE); T-Pia Brandt. €80,010.
3–Morgan Le Faye (GB), 127, f, 4, Shamardal–Molly Malone (Fr), by Lomitas (GB). (€350,000 Ylg '15 ARAUG). O-Godolphin SNC; B-Dieter Burkle (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: 3/4, SNK, SNK. Odds: 5.90, 5.30, 15.00.
Also Ran: Brundtland (Ire), Flag of Honour (Ire), Palombe (Ire), Horseplay (GB), Max Dynamite (Fr). Scratched: Libello (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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