By Sean Cronin
Third in York's G2 Great Voltigeur S. last month, Coolmore's G2 Golden Fleece S. and G3 Gordon S. winner Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) claimed the full set of pattern-race levels with a stunning victory at odds of 17-2 in Sunday's G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp. His two prior starts at the highest level yielded a fourth in last term's G1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster and a sixth in this year's G1 Epsom Derby. He was hidden away in rear for most of the 12-furlong trip and inched closer along the false straight as his pacemaking stablemate Nobel Prize (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) signalled signs of distress. Making rapid headway along the fence in the straight proper, the eventual winner was not for catching once quickening for control when angled out with 300 metres remaining and stayed on strongly under a late drive to easily hold the running-on G1 Deutsches Derby hero In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and G2 Prix Greffulhe victor Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) by 2 1/2 lengths and a short head.
“Aidan [O'Brien] seemed quite confident before the race and told me that he was a horse that needed to be held up a bit, but had a huge turn of foot and that the longer I could wait the better as he doesn't do too much in front,” explained winning rider Pierre Charles-Boudot after securing a third straight, and fifth overall, win in the event for O'Brien. “The pace was nice and constant and, turning in, I had a feeling that I was going to get a run down the rail. The horse just picked them off one by one and gave me his all to the line. Coolmore is one of the biggest breeding operations in the world and it is always a pleasure and honour to ride and to win for them. We will see if I get the ride on him in the Arc, it will be interesting.”
Europe's Autumn showpiece could also be on the agenda for runner-up In Swoop, who delighted trainer Francis-Henri Graffard with a late rattle to finish second, but it's by no means certain. “That was a great run and, before the race, I would have been happy with second place,” Graffard admitted. “We were worried that he might have been found out for a bit of speed, but he just keeps grafting away. Ronan [Thomas] knows him, he knows to keep after him and, just as I was hoping, he has finished off really strongly. Two weeks ago I would have never thought that he would have come here in such good condition. He takes his work well, I kept him going in strong work throughout the summer and he is very straightforward and willing. I think softer ground would play to his strengths. He holds an entry in the [G1] Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the [G2] Prix Chaudenay and [G1] Grosser Preis von Bayern. I will have a discussion with the owners and we will come to a decision.”
Mogul is one of four pattern-race winners, all by Galileo (Ire), produced by Listed Pontefract Castle S. runner-up Shastye (Ire) (Danehill). He is a full-brother to Japan (GB), who won this event and York's G1 International S. last year, MG1SP G2 Middleton S. victress Secret Gesture (GB) and G3 International S. winner Sir Isaac Newton (GB). His granddam is G2 Prix de Royallieu winner and G1 Gran Premio di Milano runner-up Saganeca (Sagace {Fr}), who produced G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning sire Sagamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Sagacity (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and G2 Prix de Malleret victress Sage Et Jolie (GB) (Highest Honor {Fr}), herself the dam of the G1 Prix d'Ispahan-winning sire Sageburg (Ire) (Johannesburg). Shastye has a yearling filly by Galileo (Ire) to come.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
JUDDMONTE GRAND PRIX DE PARIS-G1, €360,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-13, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:24.76, gd.
1–MOGUL (GB), 129, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Shastye (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saganeca, by Sagace (Fr)
3rd Dam: Haglette, by Hagley
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (3,400,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €205,704. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng & Ire, 3-2-1-0, €394,321. *Full to Japan (GB), Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 9 1/2-11f, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 9 1/2-11f, Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 9 1/2-11f, G1SW-Eng & Fr, GSW-Ire, $2,048,117; Secret Gesture (GB), GSW & MG1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr & Ger, GISP-US, $746,427; and Sir Isaac Newton (GB), GSW-Ire, SW-Eng & GSP-Aus, $403,231; and 1/2 to Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}), SW & MGSP-Aus, $403,286. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–In Swoop (Ire), 129, c, 3, Adlerflug (Ger)–Iota (Ger), by Tiger Hill (Ire). O-Gestut Schlenderhan; B-Stall Ullmann (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €82,296.
3–Gold Trip (Fr), 129, c, 3, Outstrip (GB)–Sarvana (Fr), by Dubai Destination. (€60,000 Ylg '18 ARAUG). O-Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard; B-Michel Monfort (FR); T-Fabrice Chappet; J-Stephane Pasquier. €41,148.
Margins: 2HF, SHD, 1 3/4. Odds: 8.50, 8.00, 15.00.
Also Ran: Serpentine (Ire), Highland Chief (Ire), English King (Fr), Nobel Prize (Ire), Lord Achilles (Fr), Hayzum (Fr), Port Guillaume (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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