Irish Derby hero Benvenuto Cellini proved bitterly disappointing as Varandir claimed a decisive victory in the Qatar Prix Niel at Longchamp.
Down the field as favourite for the Derby at Epsom before controversially being declared a non-runner due to an incident in the starting stalls, Benvenuto Cellini bounced back to claim Classic glory at the Curragh three weeks later, since when he had finished a creditable third against his elders in the King George at Ascot.
Returning from a short break, the son of Frankel was widely expected to stake his claim for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over the same course and distance in four weeks’ time, but after going in pursuit of his pacesetting stablemate Montreal from the home turn, he found little for pressure and weakened into fifth place.
With Montreal’s petrol tank running on empty entering the final furlong, having streaked clear of his rivals for much of the race, Francis-Henri Graffard’s Varandir — a close-up fourth behind the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris on his last outing — was the one which finished best to grab the lead under Mickael Barzalona and he was ultimately a comfortable winner over the staying-on Alam.
When asked whether the victory was a surprise, Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for winning owners Aga Khan Studs, said: “No, not hugely. We knew the horse was really well, we knew he’d progressed a lot and we were very happy with his run in the Grand Prix de Paris — he really moved forward from when he won the Group Three and I think he’d moved forward a lot since then.
“He’s a horse that mentally and physically has improved throughout the year and we knew we had him well. I think he needed this run, because he was a bit heavy in the preliminaries.”
Coral cut Varandir to 20s from 40/1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and while the same connections have last year’s winner Daryz set to defend his crown, this son of Zarak is clearly entitled to line up alongside him.
Routh added: “He is in the Arc. We obviously need to speak to Princess Zahra [owner], [but] I’d say why not run? That would be my idea right now. I think he goes on any ground and sometimes it’s good to have two runners as you can be drawn 18 out of 18 with one and have a good draw with another, so why not spread your chances? It’s a possibility.”
Earlier, there was disappointment for O’Brien when his odds-on favourite Gstaad could finish only third to Erdenali in the Qatar Prix du Moulin.
A strong British and Irish contingent went to post for the Group One contest, with O’Brien’s Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Gstaad the 2/5 market leader ahead of Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo and the Ed Walker-trained Ten Bob Tony.
Unlike that trio, Graffard’s Erdenali was unproven in Group One company, but Barzalona’s mount had looked an exciting prospect in winning his first three starts and was an unlucky loser when third in a Group Three on his most recent outing.
With Opera Ballo taken on for the lead by Gstaad’s pacemaker Dorset, Appleby’s charge was a spent force entering the final furlong, at which stage Erdenali and the shock Queen Anne winner Ten Bob Tony moved up to dispute the lead.
Erdenali was always getting the better of that particular battle, however, and the pair drew clear of Gstaad, which never threatened to land a telling blow and was ultimately a bit disappointing in third.
Erdenali is Coral’s new 2/1 favourite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot, but with connections fortunate enough to have several horses in the same division, plans are on hold for the time being.
Graffard and Barzalona completed a Group race treble when last year’s Arc hero Daryz turned in a dominant display in the Prix Foy.
Graffard’s charge made the perfect start to his four-year-old campaign by winning two more Group Ones at his beloved Longchamp, with a comeback victory in the Prix Ganay followed by a runaway triumph in the Prix Aga Khan IV.
He could only finish third when sent across the Channel for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, but with connections feeling they had viable excuses for that below-par run, the son of Sea The Stars was expected to regain winning ways back on home turf.
On paper his task was not entirely straightforward, with George Scott’s 10-length Coronation Cup winner and fellow Arc aspirant Bay City Roller among his three rivals, and as expected the latter was sent straight to the front by Oisín Murphy in an attempt to draw the sting out of Daryz’s exceptional finishing kick.
But Barzalona always looked ultra-confident in the saddle aboard the red-hot favourite, which cruised alongside Bay City Roller a furlong out and only had to be pushed out hands and heels to win by a length and three-quarters.