Golden Horn denies Treve third Arc victory

Treve could not get her historic third win in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but trainer John Gosden got his first when Golden Horn scored a two-length victory over Flintshire on Sunday at Longchamp.

Frankie Dettori parked Golden Horn just off the flank of Treve’s pacemaker, Shahah, and stayed there until there was about a quarter-mile left in the Arc. Then he asked Golden Horn for run and the English Derby winner gave it to him, opening daylight on a star-studded field and never giving any of the closers a chance.

Treve, racing over going faster than she prefers, tried to get involved under jockey Thierry Jarnet, but could not find her trademark devastating acceleration, finishing somewhat one-paced by her standards and losing a photo for third to New Bay.

“I think she gave a good performance,” said trainer Criquette Head-Maarak. “She got beat by better horses is all. Thierry thought she ran a very good race.”

Jarnet did suggest after the race that the ground was too quick for Treve. Treve won her first Arc in 2012 by five lengths over soft going, and was home by two lengths last year over a course rated “good” but softer than Sunday’s turf.

“Probably on soft ground she’d have blown us all away,” said Gosden.

Anthony Oppenheimer, Golden Horn’s owner, predicted earlier this week that Golden Horn would easily defeat Treve on fast going, and his horse backed up his talk. Oppenheimer also is “quite keen,” Gosden said, to run Golden Horn back in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, which would be a huge coup for the Breeders’ Cup.

“If he’s in good order next week there’s no reason he can’t go there,” said Gosden.

Gosden finished third in the 2014 Arc with the filly Taghrooda and has not had many true chances in the race. After his first win Sunday, he seemed far more like a plainly contented man than someone who had felt any pressure. Golden Horn, after all, had drawn wide for the race and was five times the betting odds of Treve, whose every move this season had seemed to go right, her connections for the last year pointing toward a third Arc.

Dettori, meanwhile, won his first Arc in 1995 and his third in 2002, but he has enjoyed a late-career renaissance this season especially, and rode a perfect race to land his fourth Arc. Dettori is the retained rider for Treve’s owner, Sheikh Joann al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing, and he missed out on Treve’s first Arc when injury kept him from taking the mount. Last year, Dettori rode Treve twice before being replaced by Jarnet, who had ridden Treve at the start of her career and in the 2013 Arc that Dettori missed.

Dettori rode Golden Horn aggressively in the Irish Champion Stakes last month, putting him right on the lead, and he placed his mount forwardly again Sunday. Breaking from unfavorable post 14, Golden Horn actually was steered out the first half-furlong so Dettori could survey tactics unfolding inside him and pick his spot. With the pacemaker going a modest tempo and no other horses ridden to challenge, Dettori crossed over and took up a pressing position, Shahah towing him along comfortably.

Treve, though, was far off the early pace while planted three or four paths wide around the right-handed turns. Sweating, and tugging on Jarnet’s reins, she never gave the impression of a horse at ease in racing, never looked like the powder keg set to explode, the appearance she has given in her best performances, and the way she looked winning the Prix Vermeille over soft ground prepping for the Arc last month. Jarnet sent her wide for a bid, but Treve could only run evenly, never looking a threat to Golden Horn, who finished things off forcefully.

“He quickened so good,” Dettori said. “He had the race won a little after 200 meters. What a champion he is.”

Flintshire turned in yet another fine performance, locking down second in the Arc for the second year in a row, and giving trainer Andre Fabre and Juddmonte Farms the two-three finishers, with French Derby winner New Bay a neck back in third and a nose ahead of Treve. Erupt finished fifth and Free Eagle was sixth. Winning time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:27.23.

The 5-year-old Treve has been retired as a broodmare and bows out with a career mark of 9 wins from 12 starts, and with a reputation as one of the best racemares in recent history.

Golden Horn would still be unbeaten had he not suffered a shocking loss to unheralded Arabian Queen in the Juddmonte International at York this summer. He had earlier missed the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes because of soft-ground concerns, throwing his schedule awry, and Golden Horn never really settled in the International. He was second that day, but has won his other seven starts, and added the Arc to Group 1 wins in the Derby, the Eclipse, and the Irish Champion.

“He’s a fabulous horse with a tremendous constitution,” said Gosden, and while Golden Horn will go off to stud in 2016, there might yet be one more chapter to his story. American racing fans will be the beneficiaries if there is.