{"id":121258,"date":"2025-09-07T18:03:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T18:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/121258\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T18:03:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T18:03:08","slug":"obrien-horses-fail-to-fire-in-arc-trials-as-byzantine-dream-boosts-japanese-hopes-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/121258\/","title":{"rendered":"O\u2019Brien horses fail to fire in Arc Trials as Byzantine Dream boosts Japanese hopes \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aidan O\u2019Brien<\/a>\u2019s raid on Sunday\u2019s \u2018Arc Trials\u2019 at Longchamp failed to yield any joy. It ultimately left his star filly, Minnie Hauk, fighting it out for favouritism for the main event in four weeks\u2019 time. <\/p>\n

As is so often the case with such trials events, it was the horse tucked up at home who emerged with reputation enhanced simply by doing nothing.<\/p>\n

Minnie Hauk\u2019s stable companion Whirl started odds-on for the Qatar Vermeille to embellish her own claims for the Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe. She wound up looking ragged after finishing last of six to last year\u2019s Arc runner-up Aventure.<\/p>\n

Earlier, last year\u2019s Irish Derby hero Los Angeles could only manage fourth in a Prix Foy won by the Japanese hope Byzantine Dream. The Prix Niel, the third Arc warm-up over the course and distance, went to Godolphin\u2019s French Derby runner up Caulificar.<\/p>\n

At the end, the Arc picture still looks wide open with Aventure progressing up the bookies\u2019 pecking order and installed a 5\/1 joint-favourite with Minnie Hauk in some lists. <\/p>\n

If Sunday\u2019s quick ground conditions remain until the first Sunday in October, Minnie Hauk \u2013 the triple Group One-winning filly acclaimed by O\u2019Brien as still being in the could-be-anything category \u2013 may start a lot shorter than that. <\/p>\n

However, fluctuating autumn weather might yet scupper Minnie Hauk\u2019s ambitions on Europe\u2019s biggest prize. Soft ground is always more likely than not at that time of year.<\/p>\n

\"MinnieMinnie Hauk ridden by Ryan Moore on their way to winning the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks at York in August. Photograph: Richard Sellers\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Maybe a potential late springer \u2013 even Johnny Murtagh\u2019s Zahrann \u2013 could emerge in next weekend\u2019s Irish Champions Festival to stamp their authority on the Arc picture. As of now, however, a lot will still fancy their chances. <\/p>\n

French racing\u2019s capacity to unveil a springer, though, was underlined on Sunday when the 20\/1 outsider Sahlan held on from the fast-finishing Rosallion to land the Group One Prix Du Moulin.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Christophe Soumillon comes up trumps after Aidan O\u2019Brien forced into jockey reshuffleOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Once again, the Rosallion camp were left pondering what might have been as their star colt came from the rear of the field and only just failed to overhaul Sahlan. O\u2019Brien\u2019s second-string, The Lion In Winter, ran an admirable third considering he sweated up badly beforehand. Ballydoyle\u2019s number one, Henri Matisse, had no excuses in fifth. <\/p>\n

Once the sweat had all dried, though, perhaps the most Arc encouragement from Sunday\u2019s Longchamp action will be taken on the other side of the world.<\/p>\n

Japanese ambition to finally win the international race they covet more than any other has endured frustration for nearly 60 years, since Speed Symboli was unplaced in 1969.<\/p>\n

Thirty years later El Condor Pasa looked to have it in the bag only to be run down by Montjeu. In 2012, Orfevre\u2019s various mental quirks saw him throw away victory. But Byzantine Dream\u2019s Foy victory showed the obsession remains.<\/p>\n

His late pounce on Sosie was impressive enough to shoot him up the Arc betting although jockey Oisin Murphy warned he\u2019d like the ground even quicker.<\/p>\n

Perhaps more significantly, he was accompanied on a flight from Japan over a week ago by a potentially much more formidable compatriot. <\/p>\n

This year\u2019s impressive Japanese Derby winner, Croix Du Nord, sounds local and will get a taste of Longchamp next weekend in his own Group Three Arc Trial. It will take place a day after another Japanese star, Shin Emperor, runs for a second time in the Irish Champion Stakes. <\/p>\n

This is a year when Europe\u2019s best won\u2019t run through choice \u2013 Ombudsman skips the Arc. Circumstance has ruled out others; geldings such as Calandagan and Sunday\u2019s Group One German winner Goliath aren\u2019t allowed. It might just mean the scene is set for Japan to finally dominate.<\/p>\n

Byzantine Dream\u2019s trainer, Tomoyasu Sakaguchi, said: \u201cThe jockey rode a perfect race. It\u2019s a beautiful victory. He still has room for improvement. He will be at the peak of his condition for the Arc.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday was just a prep race and he still has something in hand. The question will be the ground, but the main goal is to have the horse ready for the Arc and then we\u2019ll see how the ground turns out on the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Survival is the only metric for success at some of Ireland\u2019s struggling racetracksOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Sosie chased home Byzantine Dream and his trainer, Andre Fabre, said he feels he has \u201ctwo serious horses\u201d on his hands for the Arc after Caulificar overcame trouble in running to land the Niel.<\/p>\n

Since he holds a record eight Arc victories, Fabre\u2019s judgment might be enough for many in four weeks\u2019 time. He won the first of them with Trempolino in 1987.<\/p>\n

After the Niel, Fabre said: \u201cIt\u2019s an impressive win for sure, but this is just a prep race for the Arc. It was what I was hoping and expecting with the extra two furlongs and softer ground. I took this route with Trempolino a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Mikey O\u2019Connor, veteran point-point rider and trainer, dies aged 44Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

A domestic week culminating in the Irish Champions Festival on the flat begins with jumps action in Galway on Monday, where the smart Rocky\u2019s Diamond debuts over fences. <\/p>\n

Declan Queally\u2019s charge won the Galmoy in Gowran last winter before finishing an honourable fourth in Cheltenham\u2019s Stayers. He lines up for a Beginners Chase at a shorter distance than his optimum over flights. <\/p>\n

Ground conditions are expected to be quite decent in Ballybrit and My Great Mate found only King Of Kingsfield too good at the festival in July. Waterford Whispers is another with experience over fences.<\/p>\n

Willie Mullins saddled Screaming Rose to win Monday\u2019s bumper finale a decade ago. Now her daughter, Runaway Rosie, is likely to be fancied to gets her career off to a successful start in the same race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aidan O\u2019Brien\u2019s raid on Sunday\u2019s \u2018Arc Trials\u2019 at Longchamp failed to yield any joy. It ultimately left his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":121259,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[18390,8029,3004,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-121258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-racing","tag-aidan-o-brien","tag-horse-racing","tag-racing","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}