Alpinista, a 5-year-old mare, takes Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Alpinista, under a textbook ride from jockey Luke Morris, became the first 5-year-old mare in 65 years to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when she saw off 3-year-old Vadeni to win the Arc by a half-length.

Winning her sixth straight Group 1, Alpinista came through as the favorite in the Arc, which was run over very soft ground under testing conditions Sunday at rainy Longchamp.

Vadeni, closing from mid-pack under a fine trip from Christophe Soumillon, was gaining on Alpinista a half-furlong from the finish, but the mare kept the 3-year-old at bay despite giving Vadeni three pounds.

Just a neck behind Vadeni in third came the admirable, capable Torquator Tasso, who fell just short trying to win the Arc for the second year in a row. Post 18 proved the difference between defeat and victory for Torquator Tasso, who got the course conditions he wanted and came into the Arc the same horse he was a year ago.

Jockey Frankie Dettori made the most of a poor draw with a horse who lacks early speed, sticking Torquator Tasso behind cover going around most of the Arc’s turning portions. But to avoid giving his mount too much to do, Dettori had to swing four paths wide and begin his run with about a half-mile left to travel, and after looming a winner a furlong from the finish, Torquator Tasso’s run flattened out just enough to keep him from victory.

Morris, meanwhile, rode his first Arc winner like he owned the race. Alpinista in post 6 had a much better draw than Torquator Tasso, and the mare also has more positional pace, which Morris used to snag an ideal spot racing along the rail from fourth or fifth as the Japanese staying star Titleholder went to the front and set the pace.

Alpinista, a daughter of the great Frankel (whose star as a stallion has risen dramatically the last two years) was bred and is owned by Kirsten Rausing, a billionaire born in Sweden but residing in England, where she has become a leading owner and breeder through her Staffordstown Stud. Rausing co-bred and owned Alpinista’s third dam, Alouette; bred and owned Alpinista’s second dam, Albanova; and bred and owned Alpinista’s dam, the Hernando mare, Alwilda. Both the second dam and the dam were trained by Alpinista’s trainer, the revered Sir Mark Prescott, who, at age 74, has been training 52 years. The Newmarket-based Prescott, more than anything, is known for his kindness and generosity, and his keen intelligence is expressed in forthright, commonsense speech. He has aimed Alpinista at the Arc since the start of 2022 and the mare rewarded him with a first victory in Europe’s most important race.

Alpinista had emerged from relative obscurity in 2021 to win three Group 1s, but since the mare shipped from England to Germany – beating Torquator Tasso in the Grosser Preis von Berlin -- for the trio of successes, she was not as highly regarded at home as she ought to have been. Alpinista belatedly made her 2022 debut on July 3 winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud before capturing her first English Group 1 on Aug. 18, the Yorkshire Oaks.

Morris has been Alpinista’s only jockey since the start of her 2021 campaign. His riding style would look absurd in America; Morris moves radically up and down in the saddle during a race’s finishing stages, and he deploys his crop in classic windmill style. He has been riding for Prescott 11 years, the trainer said after the Arc, and Morris gave the best horse Prescott has trained a perfect trip Sunday. Saving ground around the long Longchamp turn, sitting chilly through the false homestretch, Morris had yet to even move his hands – save to establish initial position – with 500 meters left in the Arc. Credit to Alpinista, who was traveling beautifully over the softest going she’d ever encountered, and it was not until Alpinista had made the front and had the finish in her sites, 300 meters left, that Morris asked his mare for run.

Vadeni, racing about two paths off the fence while in traffic, emerged from the pack at the 400-meter mark as a primary challenger, the slight French colt knifing effectively through the soft ground in his first start over 1 1/2 miles. Vadeni ran admirably, Torquator Tasso valiantly, but it was Alpinista on top in a thrilling Arc.

The race is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and Alpinista has fees-paid entry into the BC Turf. Rausing said Alpinista could be considered for that race or for the Japan Cup later this year but would not race again at age 6.

The top three were much the best, but Vadeni’s Jean-Claude Rouget-trained stablemate Al Hakeem ran well to finish fourth, the second 3-year-old across the line. Then came longshot Grand Glory, Irish Derby winner Westover, Irish Champion Stakes winner Luxembourg, Broome, Alenquer, Onesto, Titleholder, Mendocino, Mishriff, Stay Foolish, Mare Australis, Sealiway, Bubble Gift, Deep Bond, Do Deuce, and Mostahdaf.

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