Pride Of Arras returns to form with Voltigeur victory

Pride Of Arras made a brilliant return to the scene of his finest hour to claim a Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in which dual Derby hero Lambourn misfired.

An impressive winner of the Dante on the Knavesmire earlier in the season, Ralph Beckett’s Pride Of Arras had proven no match for Aidan O’Brien’s Lambourn in both the Derby and Irish equivalent earlier in the season.

Sent off 12-1 in his first outing since being gelded, Rossa Ryan was in no rush as the 4-5 favourite Lambourn was immediately gunned to the front by Ryan Moore to keep close tabs on stablemate Thrice, who was undertaking pace-making duties.

However, unlike in his two Classic triumphs, Lambourn was unable to shrug off his rivals and with the pack swarming, it was Pride Of Arras who hit top gear up at the right time up the long home straight to return a length verdict over Paddy Twomey’s previously unbeaten Carmers.

Lambourn ended up a well-held fifth, with William Haggas’ Arabian Force another to stay on from the rear to take third ahead of Ballydoyle’s Stay True.

Beckett said of the winner: “He was back to his best, all good.

“I actually brought him here slightly underdone, having gelded him at the beginning of July, the week after the Irish Derby. It’s seven weeks on, but I’ve only really done maintenance stuff with him – I haven’t turned the screw with him – slightly because that seemed to suit him the last time we brought him here, and also because I wanted him to run well more than anything else.

“Really we came here with no expectation, but I think the track and the flat nature of York suits him really well. I wasn’t at all happy with the way he moved in the first half-mile at the Curragh, which isn’t exactly undulating anyway. He just wasn’t enjoying himself that day any more than he was at Epsom. After that it was a very easy decision to geld him.

“He’s never been difficult at home and it’s not just the gelding (that’s made the difference) as he suffers respiratory issues as well and that hasn’t helped. It certainly wasn’t helping in the spring and these things are never one specific thing, there’s always layers.”

With Pride Of Arras now not eligible to run in the St Leger or the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Beckett is ready to consider targets further afield, including a possible trip to the Breeders’ Cup.

“I think this place suits him, which sorts of gives us a steer and we’ll probably end up having to travel him, but I wouldn’t be averse to that as I think he’s a different horse now and you could see that today,” the Kimpton Downs handler added.

“I would be tempted to think about California (Breeders’ Cup) and Hong Kong for him. I think the nature of those races will suit him really well.”