Auguste Rodin winning at Leopardstown
Auguste Rodin winning at Leopardstown

Leopardstown review: Auguste Rodin and Zarinsk impress


A review of the rest of the action from Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday where Auguste Rodin was made to work for victory.

Auguste Rodin (11/10 favourite) added his name to the roll of honour with a hard-fought success in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Aidan O'Brien last won this mile Group Two with Mogul in 2017 but was back on top with the well-regarded Auguste Rodin doing all of his best work in the closing stages, hitting the line strongly under Ryan Moore.

Stablemate Tower Of London weakened out a little tamely having contested the running with Serious Challeng, who stuck to his task gamely until the closing stages. Auguste Rodin, edging right, challenged towards the middle of the track with Caroline Street appearing to travel just as well in his slipstream but the latter could never get on terms as the Deep Impact colt kept pulling out more.

The winning distance was one and a half lengths with Caroline Street a further three-quarters of a length ahead of a rallying Alder whose sire, Australia, won this race in 2013.

Moore had time for a quick word with Racing TV after weighing in, saying: "Lovely horse, bit idle, ground is probably slow enough for him but happy with him."

The winning trainer added: "Very happy. It was a tough race. He's always shown a lot in his work at home. He was just ready off his break and will come forward plenty from it. Ryan said he had to go a little bit earlier than he wanted, but we’re very happy with him really. He's a beautiful mover so would prefer better ground.

"He's a very exciting horse going forwards and it was great to get him to do that first time back after a break. He probably doesn't want to be in front too long, his mum was like that, and he got there and was pricking his ears. It's a good trait as those types of horses last a long time. His dam (Rhododendron) was very good and he’s by Deep Impact. He’s a horse with a lot of quality.

“He has a beautiful physique and a good nature and always went through his work very impressively. He’s matured into a lovely horse.

“To send a mare to Japan at the time was incredible foresight and it was maybe the last year of Deep Impact. To get a horse like him out of a Galileo champion mare is incredible really.”

Auguste Rodin could head next to Doncaster or Newmarket and was cut from 16/1 to 12/1 with Coral for both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby.

“He could be a Vertem Futurity or Dewhurst horse, he has plenty of class and quality and will probably sharpen up a lot from the race,” O’Brien said.

“We thought he could be the type of horse who could do both (2000 Guineas and Derby), he could be a Derby horse that could start in the Guineas. He could end up a middle-distance horse, a mile and a quarter horse that could get a mile and a half. But a mile, mile-and-a-quarter horse we thought.”

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A debut winner at the Curragh, Zarinsk (9/2) was promptly stepped up to pattern company, finishing fourth in a Group Two and a Group Three, but relished the ease to Listed level in the Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.

Zarinsk jumped promptly from her low draw, leading market rival Library, and was never headed en route to recording a two and a half length success from the aforementioned 2/1 favourite.

Highly Desirable was a neck third at 125/1.

Zarinsk was providing trainer Ger Lyons with back-to-back successes in the seven furlong contest and Lyons is hopeful that there is more to come.

"Lovely filly," he said. "I thought she probably would have had this done by now if that makes sense.

"We’ve been blessed, our fillies have been pretty precocious this year and they’ve all won their maidens well. They need to step up then to stakes racing. She was a work in progress for the season, and still is I’d say.

“I’ll to talk to the boys and the (Abdullah) family, but I could see us putting her away for next year. She’s got a lovely stride and Colin is quite confident of her getting a mile. We do a lot of work in the stalls at home and the job is always not to take away any advantage, he kept it simple.

"This is a very special day and always a good buzz to it."

Keane confirmed that he had everything his own way from the gates saying: "Pretty much from flag fall.

"She was a very good winner of her maiden but her last two runs got a little bit upset in the stalls. Ideally we'd have had a lead but she pinged the gates and no one wanted to go on. She's very much a work in progress and we won't see the best of her until next year.

"The ground rode probably as described. It's soft but loose and not holding. My filly has a very good action and would handle most ground I think, it felt good on her!"

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There was a thrilling three-way finish to the Group Three Paddy Power Stakes with the judge awarding victory to Duke De Sessa (6/1) after resorting to a photo.

Thunder Kiss, owned like the winner by Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd, looked set to improve on last year's neck defeat when taking up the running from Earl Of Tyrone in the 12 furlong contest.

She always appeared to be holding eventual third Beamish but Chris Hayes produced Duke De Sessa from further off the pace and the three-year-old ran on strongly to put his head in front on the line.

The front three were separated by just a short-head and a head.

Winning trainer Dermot Weld said: “It was close, he’s had a break, he loves that ground and he loves this track.

“He’s been working exceptionally well and the only question in my mind was whether he’d get the mile and a half. I toyed with running him in the Champion Stakes, I thought we’d give him the easier option and that if he got the trip he’d be very hard to beat.

“Chris gave him a beautiful ride, he switched him off at the back which was the plan. He came home very strongly. He’s in a Group One in Germany in about four weeks’ time, but we’ll review that plan for him.”

Hayes added: "Things worked out well, the one thing we were worried about was whether he was going to settle which he did. He worked unbelievably well the other day and I'd been telling connections he would win when he got his ground.

"He caught me by surprise a bit as I thought he'd quicken but he just galloped on. It's demanding ground, it's testing and I think that played to his strengths."

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There was a one-two for the visiting trainers in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Sovereign Path" Handicap as Mark and Charlie Johnston's I'm A Gambler (18/1) had enough in hand to repel the late challenge of John Quinn's Safe Voyage.

Tom Marquand made the most of the winner's low draw and was always well placed just behind the pace before kicking clear in the straight. In contrast, Safe Voyage had to come from a long way back having been berthed in 19 and made up ground hand over fist only to find the line coming too soon, finishing half a length adrift.

There was a further three parts of a length and a neck back to Current Option and Emporio who filled out the places.

I'm A Gambler was recording his fifth success of the season from a mark of 106 having started 2022 rated 85.

It was a first ride at the track for Marquand who said: “I’m obviously getting a bit lucky with these Irish tracks coming over and having a first go round, but to be fair we had all the help there with a good draw.

“He was nice and relaxed in behind the lead and got a good run through when we needed it.

“The track rode a bit sharper than I’d imagined from watching it.”

A philosophical Quinn added: “He was a long way back – through no fault of the rider – and nearly got there, but well done to the winner – the winning post is where it is! We knew he’d love Leopardstown and he ran very well.”

Safe Voyage and I'm A Gambler
Safe Voyage and I'm A Gambler (click on the image for result and replay)


There was further success for the visitors as Jadoomi (9/4 joint-favourite) produced an impressive performance under Christophe Soumillon in the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile.

Unbeaten this season, Jadoomi was given a positive ride from his low draw and victory never looked in doubt with Jadoomi pulling further clear in the final few yards to win by four lengths.

Glounthaune was second at 40/1 with Boundless Ocean a length behind in third.

The winner is trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and the latter spoke to Racing TV, saying: "Very, very good performance, Christophe rode a great race, jumped out and made all but I thought he got his fractions perfect. We always thought he'd stay a bit further than a mile.

"He had no penalties today so it was the obvious place to come and he likes to get his tow in, that's the key to this horse. Whether we go (to ParisLongchamp for the Arc meeting) I'm not sure yet, we'll have to speak to the owner. We have got the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes as well; he's not in that so would have to be supplemented."

The concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Petingo" Handicap saw Moracana (14/1) maintain his perfect course record in edging out Golden Twilight by a nose for trainer Shelia Lavery and jockey Rory Cleary.

Jadoomi wins under Christophe Soumillon
Jadoomi wins under Christophe Soumillon (click on the image for result and replay)


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