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Workforce wins thrilling Arc

Epsom Derby winner Workforce returned to his brilliant best on Sunday to give British trainer Michael Stoute his first victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The 6-1 chance scored by a head in a thrilling battle with Japanese challenger Nakayama Festa (22-1) in Europe’s racing showpiece.

‘Today the brilliant Workforce turned up again,’ a clearly relieved Stoute said after the plucky colt landed the spoils with the Aga Khan’s pair Sarafina (12-1) and Behkabad (7-2 favourite) following them home in third and fourth.

Stoute was utterly baffled when Workforce finished a disappointing fifth to his stablemate Harbinger in Ascot’s King George VI in July.

In a rough Arc that prompted a stewards’ inquiry, Ryan Moore rode a brilliant race, refusing to surrender the spoils in a battle-royal with Nakayama Festa, who was cheered on by legions of Japanese fans at Longchamp.

The winning trainer, who twice filled the runner-up slot with Pilsudksi in the 1990s, was full of praise for Moore for his riding amid all the scrimmaging.

‘He is full of talent and gave him a great ride,’ Stoute said of his softly-spoken jockey.

Moore, also winning his first Arc, said: ‘There was half a gap there and he was really brave.’

He added: ‘The Derby and Arc have always been career ambitions and Workforce has fulfilled them both.’

Stoute, 64, freely admitted to his bafflement over the Ascot blip in Workforce’s season, telling reporters: ‘He looked a brilliant horse in the Derby. He was very disappointing in the King George VI. We are very relieved and delighted.’

He was full of praise for the Japanese raider Nakayama Festa, ridden by Masayoshi Ebina for trainer Yoshitaka Ninomiya. The colt kept coming at Workforce throughout the last furlong (200 metres) and lost little prestige in defeat.

ROUGH RACE

A rough race behind them provoked a lengthy stewards’ inquiry with Irish challenger Fame and Glory and French Derby winner Lope de Vega appearing to suffer worst.

Stoute had relief written all over his face as well-wishers clapped him on the back.

‘If you have any ambition when you start training, it is to win the Arc. I am thrilled to have done it with this horse,’ he said.

Workforce was a fourth Arc winner for owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah and was having only the fifth race of his career.

Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: ‘I would hope there would be a good chance of him staying in training.’

In earlier Group One action, Goldikova made racing history when Olivier Peslier brought the filly with a perfectly timed run to land the Prix de La Foret.

The pair were cheered to the rafters by the Longchamp crowd after she surpassed the mighty Miesque to become the first horse trained in Europe to land 11 Group One/Grade One winners.

British sprinters maintained their dominance of the Prix de l’Abbaye when 21-year-old Luke Morris aboard Gilt Edge Girl held off Richard Hughes on the fast-finishing Lady of The Desert to land one of Europe’s top sprints.

‘It is my first ride at Longchamp. This is a very good day,’ said Morris.