French runner springs 25-1 upset in King George at Ascot as Aidan O’Brien slams ‘soft’ ground for Auguste Rodin flop
ROLES were reversed at Ascot as Goliath pulled a David and upset the big boys in the King George.
The 25-1 shot won in a canter under Christophe Soumillon to give France their first winner in Britain’s answer to the Arc de Triomphe in 18 long years.
But there was needle in the Ballydoyle camp afterwards as Aidan O’Brien blamed over-watered ground for hot favourite Auguste Rodin’s flop in fifth.
Clerk of the course Chris Stickels turned the taps on overnight on Friday to try and keep the ground at ‘Good to Firm’, but O’Brien was adamant the going was nowhere near as fast.
He fumed: “There is no way that ground was good to firm, it was more good, good to soft in places. It was cutting up on the rails.
“When we walked the track beforehand we were very worried and with the benefit of hindsight we should have pulled him out.”
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Stickels wasn’t having any of it, hitting back: “I’ve heard what Aidan said, but the times indicate the description is accurate.”
You could argue it was Ballydoyle’s hell-for-leather tactics that in the end did for Auguste Rodin – and played straight into the hands of the strong stayer Goliath in a huge turn-up.
Because O’Brien’s pace-setting pair Luxembourg and Hans Andersen went flat out, apparently in an attempt to make this as stiff a stamina test as possible for their stablemate.
The plan backfired as Auguste Rodin began to get the wobbles with a couple of furlongs to run, and when Henri Graffard’s strong-travelling star breezed past at the furlong pole he had nothing left in the tank.
Only Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking, who was held up in last off the breakneck gallop, could get near the runaway winner as she stuck on bravely to finish a clear second ahead of Rebel’s Romance.
Goliath was a distant second to Isle Of Jura in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, so you can only imagine how trainer George Scott is feeling with his stable star on the sidelines.
Clearly, though, this horse is improving at a rate of knots and ‘Super Soumi’, who was on board Hurricane Run for the last French success in 2006, gave it the big’un with a typically wild celebration.
He said: “This is one of the best races in the world so to win it again is very special. It is an amazing feeling.
“I love riding in the UK and I have some great memories from winning big races here. I don’t think I’ve ever had an easier Group 1 winner than that!”
It was a second big win in little over a month at Ascot for nice guy Graffard, who also bagged the King Edward with Calandagan back in June.
He grinned: “We came here to find a strong pace, he was too keen when he ran here last time, and they went fast for him which was absolutely perfect.
“I saw his price when I arrived and was shocked, the performance is not a surprise to us. Christophe gave him a perfect ride and this is a very high-class horse.”