Bluestocking © Photo Healy Racing
Ralph Beckett reflected on an “extraordinary” afternoon in Paris after Bluestocking carried the Juddmonte colours to a record seventh victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
There are few silks more famous than those of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, with some of the greatest equine names the sport has ever seen carrying the green, pink and white with distinction in the world’s biggest races.
Rainbow Quest (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Rail Link (2006), Workforce (2010) and the brilliant dual Arc heroine Enable (2017 and 2018) have all struck gold in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, quite a list for Beckett’s superstar filly to join.
“It’s extraordinary really. I grew up watching Rainbow Quest and Dancing Brave, so to train a winner in these colours is a huge thrill,” said the Kimpton Downs handler.
“It’s a privilege to train for Juddmonte and to train an Arc winner for them as well is extraordinary.”
Bluestocking was just a yearling when Abdullah died at the age of 84 in January 2021. She was a winner on her only start at two and showed top-class form in defeat at three, but few would have marked her as a potential Arc winner until as recently as three weeks ago.
The daughter of Camelot was brilliant in winning the Group Two Middleton Stakes on her seasonal bow and broke her Group One duck in the Pretty Polly in Ireland.
However, she was clearly second best behind the remarkable Goliath in the King George and a fourth-place finish in a Juddmonte International won by City Of Troy had connections thinking Bluestocking might be best served going back against her own sex.
There was, though, a change of of heart following her never-say-die success over the Arc course and distance in last month’s Prix Vermeille, prompting the Juddmonte team to pay the €120,000 supplementary fee to book her ticket back to the Bois de Boulogne for the big one.
Beckett added: “I think after York we were going to go back to fillies only, but obviously she won what looked a strong Vermeille at the time and that gave us encouragement to come here.
“The fact that she really enjoyed the ground here three weeks ago was a positive as well and the fact that she came through that test was another positive.
“We were slightly taking it on trust that we could get her back for the Arc. It went pretty smoothly at home, but mostly because we didn’t ask her any questions – it was all about her well-being really.
“She came here in good form and I was pleased with the way she looked in the preliminaries. She’s just a real professional as she knows what’s required and has worked it out for herself, which makes our job a whole lot easier.”
Beckett is no stranger big-race success, having enjoyed Group One and Classic glory at home and abroad.
Asked about his emotions as Bluestocking approached the winning line in Paris, he said: “I was expecting something to come and run her down late, as happened last year with Westover (finished second to Ace Impact).
“She actually hit the front earlier than Westover did and it’s a long straight, so that’s always a concern, but it was going to take a good one to go by her as she doesn’t give in easily.”
In contrast to Beckett, Rossa Ryan is still a relative newcomer when it comes to winning at the top level, with his maiden Group One victory aboard Shaquille in last year’s July Cup followed up by his two on Bluestocking earlier this season.
The Galway-born jockey has now proved his worth on the biggest of stages, though, with the more positive tactics employed three weeks ago again working a treat.
Ryan said: “When I dissected the form I was fairly confident, but I wasn’t confident enough to tell anyone!
“She fulfilled what I thought she possibly could and I’m just the lucky one to have been on her. There’s a lot of people involved that have done a lot more work than I have, I’m just here in front of you.
“In the Vermeille, being drawn where we were opened doors to us and it’s probably won us the Arc really and truly. The draw was key and she’s been jumping and settling well and once I got in behind Ryan (Moore, on Los Angeles) I got into a great rhythm and from there I had every chance to win, but at the same time we had to see what was really there and she didn’t let us down.
“To be honest, I was just praying to get to the line. She quickened and quickened well and kept going. She did it well, but for me it was just getting to the line as quickly as we could and thankfully we did.”
What the future now holds for Bluestocking remains to be seen, with connections keen to enjoy this landmark success before deciding on their next move.
“It’s unbelievable and a huge relief,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon.
“More often than not, it (supplementing) doesn’t work out, but if Ralph was happy the owners were very keen to do it and he gave us the green light on Wednesday morning and it’s been a dream since.
“What’s next for her, I don’t honestly know. We discussed during the year that this could be her final season racing, but the owners will ultimately decide that in the next few weeks.
“For Juddmonte, Prince Khalid’s whole ethos was female bloodlines and broodmares. To win Juddmonte’s seventh Arc with a filly is very, very special.”
