The Fugue, left, starts to wind up her challenge at Leopardstown© Photo Healy Racing
Despite punters’ concerns about The Fugue #8217;s ability on the rain-softened going, John Gosden’s raider comprehensively won the featured Red Mills Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Leopardstown.
She is now a triple Group 1 winner after landing the Yorkshire Oaks last month in York and the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last year.
She travelled travelled sweetly into the home straight today before Buick pushed the button inside the two pole. She fairly devoured the ground from there coming in a length and a quarter to the good over Al Kazeem at odds of 4/1. Al Kazeem garnered most of the betting market being hammered down to 9/10 from 11/8 this morning. Trading Leather cut out the fractions, but couldn’t go with the front two inside the last furlong. The Irish Derby winner finished third, beaten three and a quarter lengths. Kingsbarns coming off a break of 315 days, dropped out with five furlongs to race and cantered home in last of the six runners.
Winning jockey William Buick said: “She was brilliant. She did it very easily. I was a bit concerned about the ground, it’s good to soft but she went through it well. It was a great performance the way she did it
“She’s a speedy filly so the race played into my strengths. I was confident turning in. I’m very pleased for the filly and connections. She’s getting the rub of the green she maybe wasn't getting last year. All options are open! She's always been special.”
John Gosden added: “That’s a sense of relief. It’s nobody’s fault that the rain came in. She’s done it nicely and with Al Kazeem and Trading Leather it’s a good form line.
"William said he could have gone sooner, but he wasn’t sure how she would pick up on the ground. I’m thrilled with her. She’s still really fresh at this time of year. I’m glad the heavy rain came after the race.
“She is in the Arc. Sometimes you can get fast ground there. I think it was like that when the great Sea The Stars won, but last year it was bottomless. It gets a little specialist on bottomless ground. She’s in the Prix de l’Opera and if she doesn’t run over the Arc weekend it would be the Breeders Cup again.”
Jubilant owner Lady Lloyd-Webber was on hand to lead the four-year-old filly in and said: “She’s done it again! I’ve been on weather watch the last two days. What a fantastic filly. She’s very tough.
“We reversed the Al Kazeem form which I didn’t think we could. We’re lucky to have her, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to breed your own horses. I love coming to Ireland.”
Ladbrokes cut The Fugue from 10/1 to 8/1 for the Arc after this victory.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
