Al Riffa and Dylan Brown McMonagle© Photo Healy Racing
Joseph O’Brien is targeting the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Al Riffa after momentarily threatening to spoil his father’s party in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
A Group One winner at two, the son of Wootton Bassett has proved a consistent performer over the years and having bounced out of a recent trip to America in top form, was routed to Esher by connections to take on the might of City Of Troy.
With a furlong to run, the momentum belonged to the four-year-old as Dylan Browne McMonagle in the saddle asked his mount for every ounce of effort available.
Although briefly threatening to move upsides Aidan O’Brien’s Derby hero inside the closing furlong, Al Riffa was ultimately unable to bridge the one-length advantage City Of Troy held at the finish.
His Owning Hill handler was delighted with the performance and his campaign will now be geared around a step up in trip and a tilt at Europe’s richest middle-distance prize at ParisLongchamp in early October.
O’Brien said: “I think we all thought for a moment he was going to make it interesting and he did. I’m very proud of him.
“It was a fantastic run from a top horse and it is the first time he has had a bit of juice in the ground since the National Stakes (in 2022).
“We’ll probably make the rest of the season all about the Arc, which will be his main target.
“We came here a bit soon after America. Things didn’t go our way in America but it was worth a chance and we decided to come here from there and in fairness to the horse we have kind of rushed him back a little bit.
“He’s vindicated the decision to run and we won’t rush him now, we will prepare for the Arc.
“He should enjoy the mile and a half as his family is all stamina. It looked like mile and a half will suit him on his run today. He hasn’t tried a mile and a half yet but I think he will be better.”
It was Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter who first broke cover to duel with City Of Troy and after running with credit on testing ground in the French Derby before this, his handler is yet again desperate to see the son of Invincible Spirit on a sounder surface.
Cox said: “I am over the moon. It was a tremendous performance bar being beat and he has run with full credit. We are all very proud of him and he has tried very hard.
“We would appreciate slightly drier ground but I am not making any excuses as he has still run a very solid race.
“I think a mile and a quarter is a perfect for him and Richard (Kingscote) agrees. He is in the Juddmonte and that is a track (York) that I think he would enjoy.”
