Arabian Queen Shocks in International

As if the withdrawal of Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) did not provide enough of a twist to the plot ahead of Wednesday’s G1 Juddmonte International S., the real drama was still to play out on York’s Knavesmire as the unheralded 50-1 shot Arabian Queen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) mastered Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) to the smell of burning formbooks.

Last seen finishing a well-beaten third without any obvious excuses in the G1 Nassau S. at Goodwood at the start of the month, Jeff Smith’s 3-year-old filly was left to her own devices by the main group early and was able to build her own pace ahead of the free-going G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Eclipse S. hero. As the 4-9 favorite labored past approaching the furlong pole, she looked booked for an honorable second, but Silvestre de Sousa was asking for more from Arabian Queen and she proved generous, as her unbeaten rival paid for his early exertions in the last 75 yards. At the line, she had forged an unforgettable and unpredictable neck success from Golden Horn, with The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) 3 1/4 lengths behind in third as the hold-up horses failed to land a serious blow. “She’s a filly of the highest class.

“She’s tenacious and loves to battle,” said trainer David Elsworth, who saddled another filly in In the Groove (GB) (Night Shift) to win this prestigious affair in 1990. “If we hadn’t turned up today, they would be hailing the favorite as the best horse since Frankel. She’s certain to stay further, her dam won over a mile and five furlongs. It took me three years to work out her best trip, but I worked this one out a bit quicker.”

John Gosden was blaming the combination of the rain, freshness and a lack of strong pace for the favorite’s first defeat.

“In that ground, he overdid it and was too gassy,” he explained.

Wednesday, York, Britain
JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL S.-G1, £914,375, YOR, 8-19, 3yo/up, 10f 88yT, 2:09.92, g/s.
1–&ARABIAN QUEEN (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Barshiba (Ire) (MGSW-Eng, $588,780), by Barathea (Ire)
2nd Dam: Dashiba (GB), by Dashing Blade (GB)
3rd Dam: Alsiba, by Northfields
O-J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (IRE); T-David Elsworth; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £518,542. Lifetime Record: 11-4-0-1, $1,082,926. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

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2–Golden Horn (GB), 124, c, 3, Cape Cross (Ire)–Fleche d’Or (GB), by Dubai Destination. (190,000gns RNA Ylg ‘13 TAOCT). O-A E Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Studs (GB); T-John Gosden. £196,591.
3–The Grey Gatsby (Ire), 132, c, 4, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Marie Vison (Ire), by Entrepreneur (GB). (€24,000 Ylg ‘12 AR12; €120,000 2yo ‘13 ARMAY). O-Frank Gillespie; B-Malcolm Parrish (IRE); T-Kevin Ryan. £98,387.
Margins: NK, 3 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 50.00, 0.40, 5.00.
Also Ran: Time Test (GB), Dick Doughtywylie (GB), Criterion (NZ), Cougar Mountain (Ire). Scratched: Gleneagles (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Not that it was in this league, but Arabian Queen had performed a prior act of giant-killing when upsetting the much-vaunted High Celebrity (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the six-furlong G2 Duke of Cambridge S. at Newmarket last July before disappearing back to the fringes when fifth in that track’s G3 Sweet Solera S. and sixth in the G1 Cheveley Park S. on the Rowley Mile there in August and September, respectively. Returning in the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. over an extended mile at Epsom June 5, the daughter of the high-class one-eyed Barshiba (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) demonstrated how far she had come over the winter with an emphatic score against older rivals, with winning rider Silvestre de Sousa rightly claiming he had “got the clock right”. Swamped late on when just over two lengths fifth in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 19, the homebred backtracked when last of seven in the G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket July 10 and was looking exposed when third to a dominant Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) trying this trip for the first time in the G1 Nassau S. at Goodwood Aug. 1.

Ignoring the favorite’s rabbit Dick Doughtywylie (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) as he was sent too far into the clear to be a pace factor early on, Arabian Queen was also unconsidered while sitting two lengths ahead of Golden Horn as he reefed and pulled noticeably for Dettori. Wound up by Silvestre de Sousa in early stretch, the bay was in front with a quarter mile remaining, with the main attraction beginning to chase–albeit without his usual silky response. Looking likely to succumb just under a furlong later as the Oppenheimer star edged ahead, Arabian Queen was never truly put in her place and that gave her heart to stick to her guns as the battle heated in the closing moments. Back in front 75 yards from the line, Arabian Queen had more to give from there and York was left to play witness to another turn-up as it had been in this race’s inaugural year in 1972 when Roberto downed Brigadier Gerard (GB).

De Sousa, whose judgment of pace proved exceptional, added, “She’s not an easy filly to deal with and can be a bit of a madam at home. She has her own ideas about the game, but is obviously very talented. I had a clear run, picked the pacemaker up two furlongs out and I always felt I had a bit left. I couldn’t say I was confident coming here–she was 50-1–but she had been third in a Group 1 on her last run, she’s bred to get further and ran right to the line.”

Owner-breeder Jeff Smith of Littleton Stud was delighted but not quite as surprised as some would have believed.

“I would have been delighted with second, but this is tremendous, and to my eye the 3-year-old fillies are better than the colts and there were no formlines between them beforehand,” he explained. “When they meet, we find out and today we found out. I was pretty confident of getting in the first three, as she’s a filly on an upward curve. In the Nassau, she finally got a mile and a quarter and today she got a mile and a quarter and a slight bit of cut, and you’ve seen her to best effect. This is a good tough family and Barshiba lost a lot of races because she couldn’t see the others coming. This is her first foal and she’s just an athlete. She has a wonderful temperament and loves her racing.

Smith continued, “[Trainer] David [Elsworth] was always saying at home on the gallops that she was always racing and wanting to win. We’ve had Lochsong and Persian Punch win big races here, but don’t forget I’ve had a third and a second in the Juddmonte, so I was due one. We are in the [Oct. 17] G1 British Champions Fillies and Mares S. at Ascot and having had quick races, to my mind that would be her next race after a break and that’s it for the year. Next year, we could possibly train her for the Arc.”

Lost Golden Touch?…

John Gosden was left with an unsatisfactory combination of events to ponder as he took Golden Horn’s first reversal on the chin.

“The pacemaker missed the kick and then he ended up too far clear,” he said. “Golden Horn was too fresh and keen and he did too much, too early. Frankie found it hard to settle him for the first six furlongs and he gassed himself out. He missed the King George and is a fresh horse who has overdone it in that ground early and paid the price in the last half-furlong. It was a real pity it rained and a real pity Gleneagles didn’t run, but I couldn’t see them both coming out, as it would have ruined the race. He likes a strong pace and to bounce off the ground and he didn’t get either. That’s life. Take nothing away from her, the filly is very good and he is fine, although he was struck into a bit and with more racing, he’ll settle better. We could go on to an Arc trial, but he might have to make his own running there so quicker ground will obviously help.”