Mickael Barzalona, who famously stood up in the irons at Epsom to celebrate a Derby triumph in 2011, was doing it again at Del Mar after he landed the Turf on Talismanic.
On his first Breeders’ Cup appearance the 26-year-old delivered Godolphin’s second victory on the card when Talismanic got the better of Beach Patrol with Highland Reel back in third.
He secured a fifth Breeders’ Cup win for Andre Fabre, the only European trainer to consistently observe a policy of never running his horses on lasix.
Talismanic’s three wins at 1m4f had been at Listed level and he clinched a Group 2 victory over 1m6f in July over leading British Melbourne Cup challenger Marmelo.
At the highest level he had been found wanting but Fabre’s record in a race he had won previously with the Sheikh Mohammed-owned In The Wings made the colt dangerous to overlook.
At a meeting that had already seen a succession of upsets all eyes were on whether Highland Reel, who made all the running to win a year ago, could match another Ballydoyle star High Chaparral in becoming a back-to-back winner of the 1m4f prize.
He could not lead this time as Oscar Performance got across from stall 14 to take the field along.
But settled on the rail just behind the pacesetter, Highland Reel was still a position from which he could mount a challenge once the race stepped up a gear from the turn.
Moore got a clear run on the five-year-old but Beach Patrol struck out first only for Barzalona on Talismanic to run down the Chad Brown challenger as Highland Reel flattened out to take third. Seventh Heaven was fifth, Cliffs Of Moher (eighth) and Decorated Knight (ninth).
Barzalona said: “I can’t believe it. I am thrilled to have
won my first Breeders’ Cup race. I expected the horse to run well, but I’m not sure I thought I would win.
“He’s such an easy horse to ride. Andre is a master he gave me the chance to ride a good horse and I have to thank him.”
Third place prize-money of £292,000 was enough to confirm Highland Reel Europe’s biggest money-earner but it was not what connections had come to California for with their globe-trotter.
Ryan Moore said: “He seemed to be labouring today. He
didn’t have that usual oomph. They went quick and he rolled a bit down the straight.”
fonte : RacingPost
Talismanic Pulls the Upset in Breeders’ Cup Turf
Godolphin’s Talismanic rallies to win the Turf over Beach Patrol.
Talismanic Pulls the Upset in Breeders’ Cup Turf
Godolphin’s Talismanic rallies to win the Turf over Beach Patrol.
Talismanic continues the parade of longshot winners Nov. 4 at Del Mar with a 14-1 score in the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar. Godolphin’s son of Medaglia d’Oro covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.19. Beach Patrol, the 3-1 second choice finishes second over favored Highland Reel.
American-based Oscar Performance set the early pace in the Turf and cruised along throughout the first two bends on an open lead. Beach Patrol tracked in second while off the rail, with Highland Reel, last year’s winner in wire-to-wire fashion tracking in third under Ryan Moore.
The early splits were honest. The opening-quarter went in :23.69, the half-mile in :48.33, and six furlongs in 1:12.86. Tracking the leaders were Hunt, and Talismanic, with Mickael Barzalona aboard.
As the field made their way out of the third and final bend Beach Patrol challenged Oscar Performance and quickly established the lead, but coming after him was Talismanic, with Highland Reel still digging in.
The mile went in 1:38.00.
In the lane, Talismanic was too much, edging clear to win by a half-length. Beach Patrol held by a neck over Highland Reel.
Barzalona has ridden Pour Moi to win the 2011 Epsom Derby (G1) and the 2012 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) aboard Monterosso.
The winner is out of the Machiavellian mare Magic Misson and came to the Breeders’ Cup for trainer Andre Fabre with a 5-5-1 mark in 15 starts. This year he had won the listed Prix Lord Seymour at Maisons-Laffitte at the Turf distance and the group 2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil at Saint-Cloud in mid July.
His prep was a third-place effort in Chantilly’s Prix Foy (G2) Sept. 10.
The race lost a bit of luster the day before when Ulysses, the 7-2 morning-line favorite, was scratched due to “some heat in a fetlock” following morning track work, according to Flaxman Holdings’ racing manager Alan Cooper.
fonte : Bloodhorse.com
DOMENICA 5 NOVEMBRE 2017. America: #Talismanic vince a sorpresa la Breeders’ Cup Turf! Il Godolphin di Fabre batte Beach Patrol e Highland Reel.
Nella Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf G1 un altro colpo a sorpresa, quello di Talismanic (Medaglia D’Oro), autore di una vera e propria magia sul miglio e mezzo di Del Mar grazie ad una bella andatura sostenuta che ha permesso al bel cavallo sfacciato e con le 4 balzane bianche di esprimersi come mai aveva fatto sinora, in una pazza e scatenata edizione delle Breeders’ Cup 2017.
Talismanic, portacolori Godolphin allenato da Andre Fabre e montato da Mikael Barzalona, che in Maggio era finito secondo nel Prix d’Hedouville G2, una lunghezza davanti a Way To Paris, e poi aveva vinto il Nieuil G2 piazzandosi successivamente nel Niel G2 in preparazione all’Arco ma con una linea con Cloth Of Stars (poi secondo nell’Arco), ha risolto una corsa sfruttando una scia interna, il numero 1 di steccato che gli ha permesso di viaggiare liberamente e senza spese, ma proponendosi in una progressione che non avevamo visto sinora. In America è parso praticamente con una faccia completamente diversa di se. Battuto Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid), il migliore degli americani che ha viaggiato sempre in prima linea, mentre al terzo è arrivato il sempiterno Highland Reel (Galileo), all’ultima corsa della carriera prima dell’ingresso in razza nel 2018, e capace di un’altra coraggiosa prova di carattere.
Talismanic, apparso neghittoso al tondino, vanta ora 6 vittorie in 16 uscite. Prima di oggi vinceva £282,000, ora ne ha guadagnati in un colpo solo £1,788,617.89, per l’esattezza, che gli permettono di accumulare un bottino di $2,801,004. Allevato dal Darley, è figlio di Medaglia D’Oro(El Prado), che funzionava nel 2017per $150,000 in America, ed è prodotto della fattrice Magic Mission (Machiavellian).
