A wonderful Arc won by the brave six-time Group 1 winner Alpinista
THIS YEAR’S running of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe promised much, and despite the European highlight taking place in the persistent heavy rain, the race delivered a fine result with the brave grey mare Alpinista, who was sent off the race favourite, outgunning her mainly younger and male rivals.
Always handy on the rail, jockey Luke Morris had the five-year-old perfectly positioned to make the most of the cut away as the field came into the straight.
Luke Morris © Debbie Burt
Kirsten Rausing’s homebred filly immediately found clear head away, but Morris sat quiet until the 2f pole when he kicked to the lead. In the last half-furlong the field came bearing down on the daughter of Frankel, but she held on to win by a half-length from the Jockey-Club winner Vadeni and last year’s Arc winner Torquator Tasso.
Her trainer Sir Mark Prescott was unusually lost for words.
“It is a marvellous, marvellous family,” he said. “I have had three generations of them, and Luke has been with me for 11 years, it is great.”
Of his feelings as Alpinista hit the front, Sir Mark commented: “I just said ‘Wait, wait, wait!'”
Sir Mark Prescott
He added: “It is a great day, thank you very much indeed every one! It has caught me out really.”
The filly has now won six Group 1 races, she is her sire’s winning-most Group 1 winner and his first Arc winner.
She is out of the Hernando mare Alwilda , the family stretching back to the minor Brighton winner Alruccaba, who was bought by Rausing, carrying a tendon injury at the December sales of 1985. The daughter of Crystal Palace was bought in partnership with Captain Tim Rogers’ wife Sonia for 19,000gns, one bid above the 18,000gns reserve.
It was her daughter Alouette, the 1990-foaled Darshaan mare, who has taken the family to great heights.
Alouette, Alpinista’s great grand-dam, won the Killavullan Stakes and produced nine winners headed by dual Champion Stakes heroine Alborada and the German champion Albanova, the 2022 Arc winner’s grand-dam.
Alpinista’s dam Alwilda, a half-sister to the dual Champion Stakes winner Alborada and by the former Lanwades resident Hernando, produced a filly this spring by Iffraaj.