Aidan O’Brien’s Gleneagles demoted to third place at Longchamp

Irish trainer misses out on double in Paris after stewards’ enquiry

Ryan Moore riding Found (blue and orange colours)  to victory in the  Prix Marcel Boussac  at Longchamp  in Paris. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Ryan Moore riding Found (blue and orange colours) to victory in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in Paris. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Full Mast was named the winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp after first past the post Gleneagles was demoted to third by the stewards.

Having wracked up a four-timer with victory in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Gleneagles was a 9 to 4 shot for his Paris assignment, with John Quinn’s previously unbeaten colt The Wow Signal heading the market at 7 to 4.

Coventry Stakes and Prix Morny winner The Wow Signal was quickly in front in the hands of Frankie Dettori, but was a spent force halfway up the straight and eventually finished tailed off.

The main French hope Full Mast moved up menacingly, but Gleneagles arrived on the scene on the outside of runners.

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Joseph O’Brien’s mount quickened up to lead, but as he did so he hung slightly across the track, leading to Full Mast and then Territories being squeezed on the inside rail.

After a brief deliberation, the stewards decided to amend the result, promoting Criquette Head-Maarek’s Full Mast (11 to 2) to the number one spot, with Territories second and Gleneagles third.

Head-Maarek said: “That’s racing, one horse didn’t run straight, he bumped one horse and he bumped another one. Sometimes you need a bit of luck. Mine is still very green and he’ll be a very good three-year-old.

“I have to talk to the owners, but I’d think he’ll stop now and wait for next year.”

Owner Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "He's a smashing looking horse, he's still quite immature mentally and physically.

“Obviously we would have preferred to win the race outright, but that’s the way it is.

“That will be it now for the season.”

Michael Tabor, part-owner of Gleneagles, said: "I remember that we kept the Arc with Dylan Thomas (following a lengthy inquiry in 2007) and in all honesty I'd rather have kept that one than kept this.

“There are different rules in France, and when you are in France you need to abide by their rules. That’s how it is.

“It would be better if they were more uniform, but rules are rules.”

O’Brien said: “Joseph said he didn’t think he touched the other horse, and that it happened very late. He’d gone by the second at the time, but he is a horse who after quickening up well doesn’t do a lot when he gets there.”

Glenaeagles' demotion deprived Aidan O'Brien of back to back successes at the Paris track after Found wore down main market rival Ervedya to clinch the Prix Marcel Boussac under jockey Ryan Moore.

A winner on debut before finishing a close third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh three weeks ago, Found was the 9 to 4 favourite and always travelling sweetly on the heels of the leaders.

Following a sedate early gallop, outsider Thank You Bye Bye went to the lead to raise the tempo before the home turn, but Jean-Claude Rouget’s Ervedya was the first of the big guns to commit for home.

Found swiftly went in pursuit and wore her down in the last 100 yards to seal an ultimately comprehensive victory.

Found’s fellow Irish raider, Jessica Harrington’s Jack Naylor, ran a fine race in third.

O’Brien said: “She is a lovely big filly, with a temperament to match, and I would think she will have no trouble getting a mile and a quarter and maybe a mile and a half, as she is by Galileo.

“Along with that she has plenty of natural pace, certainly enough to be a Guineas filly, knowing that she will hopefully get better over further.

“I’d imagine that will be it for the season, but the lads will decide. She’s a very exciting filly.”

Coolmore partner Michael Tabor, in whose colours the winner ran, said: “She is a horse for next year and hopefully will be even better as a three-year-old.

“She will definitely get further than this and I thought she did it really well today, even though the ground might have been a little bit firmer than ideal.”

Harrington said of Jack Naylor: “She only cost 10 and a half grand and she’s come a long way since winning a little race at Roscommon.

“She’s gone from strength to strength and was doing her best work at the end.

“I think she’ll be a mile-and-a-half horse next year, so I’ll start her off over a mile. I’ll enter her for the English Guineas and that’s it for her year.”

David O'Meara's Move In Time finished best to clinch a shock Group One victory in the Prix de l'Abbaye.

Runner-up on his last three appearances, including in a Group Three over course and distance last month, Move In Time was a 25 to 1 chance in the hands of Daniel Tudhope.

The two-year-old Cotai Glory was among those to set a scorching early gallop, but he predictably weakened and it was Move In Time who had his head in front where it mattered in a rough renewal.

O’Meara said: “It was a huge effort and a great ride by Danny. He’s been second a lot this year and has run well round this track before.”

Sole Power was unsurprisingly all the rage as the 13 to 8 favourite, bidding to add to his previous seasonal triumphs in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and in the Nunthorpe at York.

But with a huge field assembled, the star seven-year-old was always going to need some luck in running, and when he needed the gaps to appear they failed to materialise.

Rangali filled the runner-up spot ahead of Bryan Smart’s Moviesta in third.

Big outsider Spirit Quartz and Mirza were also in contention at the death, but just finished out of the front three.