Japan denied as quirky Orfevre allows Solemia victory
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Remember the man, remember the name - Carlos Laffon-Parias and Olivier Peslier came, saw and conquered in scintillating fashion as their four year old filly, Solemia, reeled in Orfevre in the dying strides of the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe to cause yet another upset in greatest turf race in the world.
Having reigned supreme earlier on the card with Silasol in the Prix Marcel Boussac, the partnership of Laffon-Parias and Peslier reunited yet again to reap the rewards of the unpredictability of the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe in one of the most open renewals for many a year to earn Olivier Peslier his fourth victory in the great race.
With Aidan O'Brien's pacemaking duo of Ernest Hemingway and Robin Hood towing the field along in traditional fashion, the majority of the market principles settled at the rear of the field biding their time to deliver their challenges in the final stages of the race. Two lengths behind, Dettori had settled their stablemate, Camelot, on the inside of the pack along the rail seemingly looking to capitalise with an early move coming into the straight.
Solemia, whom carried the recogniseable Wertheimer & Frere silks that had been worn aboard Goldikova in all three of her Breeders Cup Mile victories, sat close to the pace under a traditional rail-hugging ride from Peslier in fourth with Japan's Triple Crown winner, Orfevre, alongsde Sea Moon at the tail of the field tracking his pacemaker.
As the field drew into the straight, Ernest Hemingway, such is the manner of the Ballydoyle pacemaking, was left with a wide margin lead awaiting the inevitable pressure from the more fancied rivals. However, despite the anticipation that Ballydoyle held of a challenge from their highly-fancied three year old star, Camelot, this was not forthcoming, with Camelot toiling in the home straight eventually finishing a well-beaten seventh and doing little to dispel the belief that he is the best of a poor crop of European three year olds.
As many efforts from rivals proved futile, Orfevre stormed to the front seemingly full of running only for him to drift into the whip and across the majority of the track whilst attempting to pull away. Despite this, Orfevre still looked to be dominating and pulling away from the pack only for the quirky four year old son of Stay Gold to continue to hang and tie up, eventually resulting with the horse bumping into the rail in the final strides. A move which may have cost him the race and opened the door for Solemia to deliver a last gasp challenge.
"She's such a nice strong filly" said Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager to Wertheimer & Frere, "It looked like we were going to be second but he [Peslier] gave her a magnificent ride and that's why we have big jockeys for these kind of races. She ran a very nice race in the Prix Vermeille and we were very happy when the rain came. It's a very nice day, there have been tears, and it's great for the breeding operation".
St Nicholas Abbey, Sea Moon, Saonois and Shareta all failed to deliver any challenge of substantial proportions with St Nicholas Abbey, again, unable to fire on a right-handed track.
Masterstroke, a progressive three year old in the caring hands of Andre Fabre and the ownership of Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation, plugged on well in the final stages to be assured of third-place and earmark himself as an exciting proposition for the Darley operation next season alongside Encke.
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