Raven’s future up in the air
The three-year-old shocked the racing world at Santa Anita on Saturday night by upsetting hot favourite and defending champion Curlin to take the $5m race under Frankie Dettori for trainer John Gosden and owner Princess Haya of Jordan.
Yet whether he stays in training or is retired to stud is open to discussion.
“I think we will just sit down and see whether the horse races next year, or whether he retires to stud,” Gosden said following his horse’s length and three-quarter victory over Aidan O’Brien’s Henrythenavigator.
“Those are decisions to be discussed with Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed. And they will be done. It will be thought about all angles up-and-down.”
Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya’s racing spokesman John Ferguson said the owners had not addressed the issue to date.
“It hasn’t been discussed purely and simply because nobody wants to tempt fate,” he remarked.
Gosden said the mile and a quarter Classic on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride Polytrack, had always been the target for Raven’s Pass.
“We’d been thinking about this race all year, because it was switching to synthetic. It’s always been in our minds.
“To run in the Mile would have proved nothing either way and this was the big challenge, and this is what we had to do. We had a problem early in the year. He was drawn badly in the Guineas, and the race went very wrong.
“We put him away, brought him back for the St James’s Palace at Ascot where he came a little late. We were just settling the horse.
“Suddenly in the second half of the year into the autumn, he’s got bigger and stronger. He’s one of the best I’ve trained and I’ve been lucky to train a few good ones.
“He’s the top of the tree now and he deserves it because he’s that good.”
Meanwhile connections of Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Muhannak are expecting an improved horse for an intended title defence at Santa Anita in 12 months.
Ralph Beckett’s four-year-old left the Jeremy Noseda-trained favourite trailing as held the fast-finishing Church Service by a head to cap a memorable year for the Oaks-winning handler.
It was Muhannak’s third win in a row on synthetic surfaces since joining Beckett’s yard from Mick Easterby and owner Richard Pegum is planning another raid in the California sun at the 2009 Breeders’ Cup back at the same track.
“It’s fair to say our tickets are booked and we’re ready to come back,” Pegum said. “It’s very exciting. It’s our first time to Santa Anita.
“We’re from Australia. We’ve raced horses in the Melbourne Cup Spring Carnival, in England, as well. It’s our first time to the States.
“We’re very excited. This has not been an easy horse to train. Ralph and all of his team back home at Whitsbury Manor have done a top job. They’ve had a lot of quirks that had to be fixed and worked out. They’ve improved the horses, and Chester House horses improve with time.”
Pegum paid tribute to the ride Muhannak got from Pat Smullen, who landed his first Breeders’ Cup winner at the eighth attempt.
“It’s great to have Pat here riding the horse. They did everything right,” he went on. “Everyone was worried there wouldn’t be enough pace on the race. He took initiative around the corner, he got clear and he got the money, so we’re very excited.”
Whether Smullen retains the ride, though, is unlikely, as the Irishman was standing in for the injured Seb Sanders.
“Pat’s done a fantastic job,” Beckett said, “but I have to feel for Seb, because, you know, he would have been his ride otherwise.
“That’s the way it goes and unfortunately for Pat, Seb will get back on him when the time comes. But that’s another day.”
Smullen has some business of his own to put in order with a slender lead to maintain over Fran Berry and Johnny Murtagh in the Irish jockey’s championship that will keep his celebrations on the back burner in the near future.
“I have to get back home straightaway to try and win the jockey’s championship,” Smullen said.
“We’ve got 10 racing days left and I’m only three winners in front, so it’s nail-biting stuff. But I couldn’t give up the opportunity to ride a Breeders’ Cup winner.”
