2008

AIDAN O’Brien and Johnny Murtagh will never forget the 2008 flat season, and the wonderfully tough and consistent Duke Of Marmalade made sure there was no easing off in the Juddmonte International at Newmarket on Saturday.

Running on in his trademark way after coming under pressure, he had three-parts of a length to spare over old rival Phoenix Tower, with Epsom Derby winner New Approach two and a half lengths away in third. It was his fifth Group 1 triumph in a row, it took O’Brien on to 18 this year and Murtagh to 16, though the jockey was only one behind after the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday [won on Bushranger].

The International, which looked doomed when York was rained off, took place against all the odds. Many people deserve credit for making it happen, while the better ground – remarkably, it was good to firm – persuaded O’Brien that Duke Of Marmalade should travel over again. True racing aficionados need to see the best of different generations taking each other on and that factor, absent from the King George at Ascot, made this the race of the season to date. Having said that, the hard-pulling New Approach deserves the chance to make amends.

As expected, the winner’s stable-companion Red Rock Canyon made the running against the rails and edged left half a mile from home. That left Murtagh in pole position when he asked Duke Of Marmalade to take it up a furlong later. There is no doubt the 4/6 shot came under fairly strong pressure and, for a moment as they met the rising ground, Phoenix Tower in the centre of the track looked to be almost level. The angle can be deceptive and Duke Of Marmalade, stretching for the line and starting to go away again close home, was always in control.

New Approach, absent since Epsom, did not appreciate the faster ground as much as the winner, but the big problem is his refusal to settle. Fighting Kevin Manning for the first half-mile, with his jaw cocked, he finally raced in a more relaxed way when eased to the outside, but the damage had been done. When Manning issued a couple of sharp reminders passing the three-furlong mark, it soon became obvious that the three-year-old could not win. He deserves great credit for keeping on again up the hill and outpointing Pipedreamer for third. The lasting impression was that he is more than capable of running Duke Of Marmalade very close indeed, but only if he gives himself a chance.

No excuses

There were no excuses for the other beaten horses, though one can certainly sympathise with Henry Cecil, who was watching Phoenix Tower finish second in his fourth Group 1 in succession – the Lockinge, the Prince of Wales’s, the Eclipse and now the Juddmonte International. Not only that, but he finished much closer to Duke Of Marmalade here than at Royal Ascot, without quite getting on terms.

‘The Duke’ has remarkable reserves of strength and cussedness, of course, as he showed against Papal Bull in the King George. ‘‘He’s the real thing,’’ O’Brien said. ‘‘If horses are made out of stone or concrete, he’s made out of something harder. He has an amazing constitution, he loves his racing and he doesn’t want to get beat.’’

Johnny Murtagh said: ‘‘He had to wait a couple of extra days for it, but he is so solid, so genuine, and he always turns up the same. Nothing seems to faze him and he is simply a great horse.’’

Jim Bolger was philosophical about New Approach’s defeat. ‘‘We were beaten but definitely not battered,’’ he remarked after the race, adding on Sunday that everything between Newmarket and Leopardstown would be geared towards persuading him to settle. ‘‘We should be as successful doing that as we were before he won the Dewhurst last year,’’ he said. There seems nothing to prevent the rematch between the big two in the Tattersalls Millions Champion Stakes, where Duke Of Marmalade is quoted at 4/5 by some firms, but Phoenix Tower may stay at home for the Dubai Champion.

If Bolger can work his magic, an epic encounter at Leopardstown appears guaranteed. There is unfinished business to attend to and it would be very foolish to discount the Derby winner.

[Duke Of Marmalade, a son of Danehill (Danzig) and Love Me True (Kingmambo), was rated the champion older horse in Europe at the end of the season. He raced twice more, finishing seventh, beaten four lengths by Zarkava, in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and then was down the field at the Breeders’ Cup. He earned just shy of £1.4 million while racing, and five of his six wins were in Group 1 races.

He went to stud at Coolmore where he stood for five seasons. His fee decreased every year, from €40,000 to €12,500, and then Duke Of Marmalade was sold to stand at Drakenstein Stud in South Africa, where he died at the age of 17.

As a sire he was responsible for Group 1 winners Rain In Holland (won the South African Filly’s Triple Crown), Simple Verse (St Leger and British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes), Sound Of Freedom (Premio Lydia Tesio), Nutan (Deutsches-German Derby), Star Of Seville (Prix de Diane-French Oaks), Son Of Raj (South Africa Derby in 2023), Temple Grafin (Garden Province Stakes), and Big Orange (Ascot Gold Cup).

In total, he has sired 51 stakes winners to date, 28 of them at group/graded level, and a further 33 blacktype-placed runners.

As a broodmare sire, his daughters are responsible for 19 stakes winners and a dozen stakes-placed horses. Ten of his stakes winners have been successful in group/graded races, and notable among them are Place Du Carrousel (Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner), Free Wind (2023 Group 2 winner and Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up), Keep On Fly (Group 2 Derby Italiano winner), Higher Truth (2023 Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 Belmont Oaks third), Lone Eagle (Group 3 winner and Group 1 Irish Derby second), Shavasana (2023 Group 3 Premio Regina Elena-Italian 1000 Guineas winner), Lady Wannabe (Group 3 winner), Antonia De Vega (Group 3 winner), and Quantanamera (Group 3 winner)]

The rising star from Garristown

1958

THE small village of Garristown, on the borders of Co Dublin and Co Meath, has made two major contributions to the story of Irish racing in 1958.

Here, at Mr Richard Ball’s stud, Ballymoss was bred, and from this village also hails the apprentice find of the year, 16-year-old Tommy Carberry.

Carberry, who will be 17 in a fortnight’s time, first got the idea of being a jockey from watching his elder brother, Theo, go out hunting, and two years ago he became apprenticed to Dan Moore at Fairyhouse. As Moore concentrates principally upon jumpers, there was not a lot of scope for a boy who could go to scale at less than seven stone, and at the start of the current season his indentures were transferred to Curragh trainer, Jimmy Lenehan.

He had his first ride at Naas on Iano on Grand National day. If this were a romance, he would have got off to a sensational start on this 100/8 outsider; but since we must stick to the facts, let me say that Iano dwelt at the gate and finished last of 12.

Carberry learned quickly and rode his first winner on Mr James McLean’s Ben Beoch in the Friarstown Apprentice Maiden Plate at the Curragh on 2000 Guineas Day. The winner was a springer in the betting, and Carberry gave connections no cause for anxiety, breaking well and pushing him out with his hands to win by four lengths.

Altogether he has ridden 14 winners, and a large percentage of these have been in long distance races. Many apprentices fail to shine in these events, their stamina giving out before that of their mounts. So far Carberry has no weight problems.

At Leopardstown, he put up only 1lb overweight to ride at seven stone, and he told me that over the past year he has put on very little weight. It is to be hoped that that happy position will continue, for good light weights are as rare as gold in Ireland, and just as valuable.

[Tommy Carberry was the champion Irish jump jockey four times. He won the 1975 Grand National on L’Escargot, and partnered 16 Cheltenham Festival winners, including L’Escargot in the 1970 and 1971 Gold Cup, and Ten Up in the 1975 Gold Cup. After retiring from race riding in 1982, he became a trainer, and in 1999 saddled the winner of the Grand National, Bobbyjo, with his son Paul in the saddle.

Often forgotten is that he won the Irish Champion Stakes on Fordham, owned by Robert Sangster and trained by Vincent O’Brien]