Racing: Godolphin's Wave crashes

THE OUTRAGEOUS happens to Godolphin because it is excessive by design. No other stable on the planet is wreathed in such talent or expectation, so we cannot treat them by normal specification. The fates clearly have the same attitude.

Following Super Saturday and Group One successes in three countries came stinking Sunday yesterday, when horses in Royal blue ran as if sabotaged in Longchamp's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe trials. It was just as well the Godolphin team were not smug at Town Moor on Saturday after Nedawi had started the steamroller in the St Leger. "It's a great relief when it all goes right," Simon Crisford, the racing manager, said as the results started to pile up. "So often you go into a weekend like this and things go wrong." At least he enjoyed it while it lasted.

Such was the apparent heavenly bias against Godolphin yesterday that it would have been no surprise to see a white-robed figure throwing thunderbolts at the team from the clouds above the Bois de Boulogne. Bahr was a spluttering failure in the Prix Vermeille, Predappio last in the Prix Foy and, most damaging of all, Sea Wave travelled just a few strides in the Prix Niel before throwing Frankie Dettori. Arc plans, like the jockey himself yesterday, are now up in the air.

Bahr started the ball stopping when she was one of many to flounder on ground which appeared as if it had been poured out of a gravy jug. She struggled into fifth while compatriots dominated proceedings. John Dunlop's Leggera was the courageous winner, holding on from the fast-finishing Cloud Castle (Clive Brittain), while Zainta, the previously unbeaten favourite, faded into third. The French horse is now likely to forsake the Arc for Newmarket's Champion Stakes.

Indeed, it may be that the Prix Vermeille, which has been fecund territory for previous Arc winners, may not have a representative in three weeks' time at all. "Leggera was well suited by the heavy ground today and she hasn't even been entered for the Arc," Dunlop said. "She would have to have similar ground to have a chance in the race and we can leave it late to supplement her, but it's an expensive procedure and it's unlikely that we'll do it."

The main tremor for Godolphin came in a Prix Niel that was over in an instant for Dettori. Sea Wave swerved straight left as he came out of the stalls, as if in search of the road back into town, and left his partner with Aga Khan colours: green breeches and a red face. "When he came out of the stalls he darted towards the junction on the main track and took me by surprise," Dettori reported. "I'm okay but it hasn't done my pride any good.

"It was tough enough something like that happening here but just imagine if he'd run in the Leger and done that. The horse hasn't got an ounce of badness in him and I just hope this was a one-off."

Crisford added: "One minute you're up and the next you're flat on your face. I don't recall him doing anything like this before and, unfortunately, it means this race hasn't told us anything. We will be going to the Arc now slightly guessing, but at least he'll go there a fresh horse."

The irony for Godolphin is that while it enjoyed three middle-distance victories of some distinction on Saturday, the big egg in its Arc basket has now tipped out on to the floor. Swain would seem an admirable back- up, especially as his Irish Champion Stakes victory on Saturday was in company with the very best performances of his career, but the Breeders' Cup Turf is likely to be his final contest before he retires to the pleasure sheds of Kentucky.

There was also much to like too about the way Nedawi overcame his childish tendencies to take the St Leger, but it appears he is to be roughed off for the season. At least the chestnut's success stuffed cotton wool in the mouths of those who considered the final Classic to be a poor showpiece.

It is a fallacy to believe that a race is no longer a good race just because the standard of the horses has dropped slightly. The Grand National is consistently the most memorable event over jumps and nobody pretends that is the best quality National Hunt contest. In the same way, the St Leger is never a bad race because the challenge of good horses having to prove their courage is not one which is sprayed around the Flat programme. The sight of Classic animals getting down to the marrow as they struggle up Town Moor's long, old straight is always one to cherish.

However, with Nedawi now considered more an animal for next year's Arc, Daylami may enter calculations for Godolphin. His win on Saturday evening in the Man O' War Stakes at Belmont Park was facilitated by the fall of the most potent of the home challengers, Cetewayo. His trainer, Michael Dickinson, must have thought he had left collapsing horses behind when he left Britain.

Daylami, the mount of Jerry Bailey, produced a neat turn of foot in the straight to win going away in the 1m3f event. It could be the grey will be given another chance to show he can get the extra furlong.

Among his more potent challengers would be the horses which dominated yesterday's Prix Niel, Sagamix and Croco Rouge. The latter's stablemate, Dream Well, was a bitter disappointment, but then there was plenty of that about.

PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE (Longchamp, 4 October): Coral: 4-1 Sagamix, 5-1 Croco Rouge & High-Rise, 6-1 Dream Well, 10-1 Sea Wave, 12-1 Limnos & Limpid; Ladbrokes: 9-2 High-Rise, 5-1 Dream Well & Sagamix, 6-1 Croco Rouge, 8-1 Sea Wave, 10-1 Daylami & Limpid; Tote: 9-2 High-Rise, 5-1 Sagamix, 6-1 Croco Rouge, Dream Well & Sea Wave; William Hill: 4-1 High-Rise, 6- 1 Sagamix, 7-1 Croco Rouge & Sea Wave, 8-1 Limpid, 10-1 Dream Well, 14- 1 Daylami.

LONGCHAMP RESULTS

Going: Soft

2.05: (1m 4f 3yo fillies Grp One Prix Vermeille)

1. LEGGERA T Quinn

2. Cloud Castle J Reid

3. Zainta G Mosse

Also ran: Native Justice (4th), Bahr (5th), Bayourida (6th), Bardonecchia, Cantilever, Winona, Isle De France, Mannsara.

11 ran. 3/4, hd. (Winner bay filly by Sadler's Wells out of Lady Ambassador, trained by J Dunlop at Arundel for Mrs H Focke). Pari-Mutuel: 11.00; 2.40; 4.30; 1.20. DF: 94.40.

3.10: (1m 2yo Group Three Prix des Chenes) 1. GRAZALEMA O Peslier

2. Way Of Light C Asmussen

3. Zeitz D Holland

Also ran: Groover (4th).

4 ran. Sht-hd, 6. (Winner bay colt by Storm Bird out of Delagrazia, trained by A Fabre at Chantilly for Sheikh Mohammed). Pari-mutuel: 2.50; 1.30; 1.20. SF: 5.30.

3.40: (1m 4f 3yo Group Two Prix Niel)

1. SAGAMIX O Peslier

2. Croco Rouge S Guillot

3. Dream Well C Asmussen

Also ran: Epistolaire (4th), Central Park (5th), Sea Wave (unseated rider).

6 ran. 11/2, 10. (Winner brown colt by Linamix out of Saganeca, trained by A Fabre at Chantilly for J-L Lagardere). Pari-mutuel: 6.70; 3.20; 2.80. SF: 41.70.

4.10: (1m 4f Group Two Prix Foy)

1. LIMNOS C Asmussen

2. Fragrant Mix O Peslier

3. Oa Baldixe S Guillot

Also ran: Kashwan (4th), Majorien (5th), Predappio (6th).

6 ran. 21/2, sht-hd. (Winner chestnut colt by Hector Protector out of Lingerie, trained by Dominic Sepulchre at Chantilly for Niarchos Family). Pari-mutuel: 6.20; 1.70, 1.30. SF: 18.30.

The 2,000 Guineas favourite, Aidan O'Brien's Stravinsky, will make his Pattern-race debut in the Group One Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp next Saturday, where his rivals may include Godolphin's Aljabr. O'Brien has announced the retirement of his Oaks winner Shahtoush.