Former champion Australian racehorse So You Think suffered their second defeat from six starts since joining the Irish stables of Aidan O’Brien, the son of High Chaparral running fourth to upset winner Danedream in a speedily run 2011 Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe in the early hours of this morning (Australian time).
Dual Cox Plate hero So You Think ran fourth in the 2011 Prix De l'Arc De Triomphe
Having won three Group 1 races in Europe, including their last two back-to-back, leading up to the lucrative €3.5 million Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe (2413m) at Longchamp Racecourse in France, So You Think was well supported at both the overseas and Australian bookmakers such as Luxbet to salute in the French debut.
So You Think, ridden by Seamie Heffernan and jumping from barrier 14 of 16 however, could only manage to finish six lengths away fourth behind German-trained filly Danedream, runner-up Shareta and the third placed Snow Fairy.
Forced to settle last of the field, So You Think may have missed out on a top three finish in the Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe 2011 results, but the dual Cox Plate hero showed true grit to pull out the best run of the closers in the weight-for-age showdown.
“I wasn’t in a great position coming into the straight, but if there was one thing I might wish to do over again it would be to have got into a better spot in the early part of the race,” Heffernan said after the race.
It was a blistering tempo in this year’s Arc De Triomphe with the Peter Schiergen-trained three-year-old Danedream, ridden by Andras Starke, winning in record-breaking 2:25.45 to become the 17th three-year-old to salute in the feature in the past 22 years.
Danedream was also at juicy odds to win and jumped as a 27-1 long-shot before becoming the first German-trained horse to win the Arc in 36 years.
O’Brien has plans to target the Breeders’ Cup Classic (dirt) for So You Think next race, but will discuss and confirm plans with owners from Coolmore Stud who may like to run the horse in the Group 1 Champion Stakes (2012m) at Ascot during British Champions Day on October 15.
“If the owners are willing I would like to set him towards the Breeders Cup,” O’Brien said.
The Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2012m) runs on the dirt at Churchill Downs, Kentucky next month.
Coolmore Australia racing manager Tom Magnier confirmed that So You Think would continue racing and that there were no plans to consider retiring the superstar.
“The horse has shown no signs that he is ready to go to stud,” Magnier said.
“We are disappointed he didn’t finish closer (in the Arc) but there is still plenty of horse to go on with.
“We think this horse can keep winning these Group One races.
“The trainer (O’Brien) thinks there is a helluva lot in the horse’s tank.”
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