Prix du Moulin: Tribalist shocks Charyn and company with frontrunning victory
Tribalist impressed from the front in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, going clear of the likes of Charyn to land the Group 1 prize for Andre Fabre and jockey Mickael Barzalona...
Sunday 8 September 2024 16:50, UK
Mickael Barzalona excelled in the saddle, as he made all aboard the Andre Fabre-trained Tribalist to cause a shock in the Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp.
The race was billed as an all-star clash between Charlie Appleby's 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes hero Notable Speech and Roger Varian's Charyn, who has become one of the leading players at the distance this term.
- Montassib magic for Haggas and Fallon in Sprint Cup
- Hollie Doyle smashes 1,000-winner landmark with Goodwood victory
Aidan O'Brien's Henry Longfellow was also among the fancied runners, but none of the big guns could land a telling blow as the five-year-old gave Fabre a record-extending eighth victory in the Group One event.
Taking the initiative when leaving the stalls sprightly, Barzalona immediately sent Tribalist forward and kept putting the pressure on his rivals throughout the one-mile contest, building up a notable advantage entering the second half of the contest.
With 500 metres to run, distress signals were beginning to be shown by those in behind and although Charyn responded gamely to Silvestre de Sousa's urgings to run on for second, he ran out of turf in his pursuit of the pillar-to-post scorer, who came home with a length and a quarter in hand.
Henry Longfellow was a little further back in third, with Notable Speech only fifth home of the seven.
Fabre told Sky Sports Racing: "It was a fantastic front-running performance, but it was down to Tribalist, not the trainer.
"He is just good. Mickael couldn't do anything else (but what he did), the others let him go."
When asked if the victory means Tribalist will head to the Prix de la Foret next, Fabre added: "For sure, there is no other option. He could then go to the Breeders' Cup."
Ombudsman stays on upward curve with unbeaten record intact
Ombudsman maintained his unbeaten record with a taking display in the Prix du Prince d'Orange at ParisLongchamp.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, he made a successful venture to Deauville when striking at Listed level last month and took another step up the ladder when surviving a steward's inquiry to claim this Group Three prize.
The Godolphin-owned colt was sent off the heavy favourite to take his record to four from four and although William Buick at one stage looked caught in a pocket, his mount surged to the head of proceedings once spotting daylight.
Buick said: "I don't think anything suited him today, it was a slow pace and I was in a pocket which obviously opened up in the straight and helped him. But I think he is a horse who prefers a high tempo and he can quicken off that.
"Today he just didn't get the chance to show his best qualities and the ground is very tacky so I don't think you are going to see a brilliant performance as such.
"He was a little bit green and caught by surprise a couple of times. He was favouring the rail and then came off it, but I think everyone was satisfied he was the best horse in the race and has still got a lot to learn.
"Again he has stepped up on what he has achieved previously and he has taken on some solid, seasoned horses who bring Prix du Jockey Club form so I was very pleased with him.
"He's got more improvement to come. John and Thady will get together with the team and decide where he goes next, but hopefully he is a horse who is going to be around for next year as well - he's four out of four and you can't fault him.
"It's hard to say (if he is a Group One horse), but he has taken two novices, a Listed, and this is now a Group Three so you would like to hope that is the trajectory he is on."
There was further British success when Jack Channon's Certain Lad gave the trainer his fist victory at Group-race level when striking in La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.
A winner of the Grand Prix de Compiegne earlier in the year, he has rattled the crossbar on home soil of late, but showed a willing attitude to gallop to Group Three glory under George Bass.
He could now cross the Channel again on Arc weekend for a shot at the Prix Dollar.
Channon told Sky Sports Racing: "He can still be a bit of a monkey beforehand and we have do the old tricks of one lap (of the paddock) and then straight down (the chute), but he's been a great horse for us for many a year now.
"He loves travelling and loves soft ground and deserved that after being chinned the last couple of races. This year he has been better than ever and hopefully he can keep going.
"We've been chasing that Group winner all year and hitting the post a lot so it was nice to get it and certainly nice to get it with this horse because he was probably the first horse dad (Mick Channon) left me to my own devices with about five or six year's ago, so he's a horse close to my heart.
"I was told not to fall in love with them, but this one is hard not to and he's brilliant. I'm chuffed for George as well, Chris Hirst (owner) has given him the opportunity and he's repaid him."
He went on: "He absolutely loves to run on soft ground. He was second in the Rose of Lancaster on good so he doesn't need it but he's had a few issues in his time so I would prefer to just run him on soft.
"We've got him in the Prix Dollar and that is what I think we will come back for on October 5. He will be running against similar horses again and that will probably be the target."
Christopher Head's Houquetot booked his ticket to the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere when regaining the winning thread in the Prix La Rochette, while Andre Fabre supplemented his win in the feature Prix du Moulin by saddling Sevenna's Knight to win the Prix Gladiateur, getting the better of Dermot Weld-trained favourite Harbour Wind.
