Rewilding digs deep to deny So You Think
With two easy victories in Ireland since his transfer to Aidan O’Brien, this was billed as the day of reckoning for So You Think and at the home bend he was poised to justify his position as the 4-11 favourite.
But in a scenario reminiscent of races a decade ago when Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin and the O’Brien-Coolmore team regularly staged head-to-head clashes through the likes of Fantastic Light and Galileo, there was to be a stunning conclusion.
Ryan Moore’s authoritative move past the pacemaker Jan Vermeer began to tell and Frankie Dettori was in full pursuit, gradually making up around three lengths in the last couple of furlongs and nudging a neck in front on the line.
“That was probably the best fight I’ve been in for a while — the two horses wanted to win and they are two great champions,” said Dettori, whose usual excitement at a big-race win seemed heightened, but will later have been tempered as the stewards ruled he had hit Rewilding 24 times inside the final two furlongs and banned him for nine days.
“My fellow has not had the credit and he showed what he’s made of,’’’ Dettori added.
“He showed what a fighter he is. I’ve only got three days here this year (due to suspension) and the Prince of Wales’s is one of the great races of the year.
“To win again is a thrill, and I’m overwhelmed.
“It was sheer joy to be in the race. They are two great teams (Ballydoyle and Godolphin) and we put our life and soul into the job and into the sport.
“So You Think didn’t go down without a fight and it was one of the epic Royal Ascot races we’ll remember for a long time.”
Dettori was already banned for the last two days of the Royal meeting after picking up a 10-day suspension in the Oaks, and this latest ban, for using his whip with excessive frequency, means he misses the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on July 2 and the first day of Newmarket’s July meeting.
So You Think collected a slew of major races Down Under and much had been made of the comments his former trainer Bart Cummings, perhaps not in all seriousness, uttered about the lower standard of European racing.
Rewilding was backed into 17-2 from an opening 12-1 and he is now a winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Great Voltigeur Stakes as well as a third place in last year’s Derby.
Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford explained: “He needs to be very fresh — after the Voltigeur he ran no race in the St Leger.
“The race went perfectly as there was plenty of pace and Frankie let him get into a rhythm.
“We’ll have to talk to Sheikh Mohammed, but you’d look to coming back here for the King George.
“There are lots of options for later, including the Champion Stakes.”
This was Godolphin’s first Royal Ascot Group One since Ramonti’s Queen Anne in 2007, but that was through Saeed bin Suroor and this was a maiden victory at the meeting for their newer trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.
He deferred all the credit to the Sheikh, who beamed: “These are the races you always wait for and when you win, it is a great thing.
“This is a special one because of the way Rewilding was trained and prepared after winning in Dubai.
“Royal Ascot is not every day, and if you don’t win, you come back the next year and the next year. He has speed so we thought we would try the shorter distance and he did it — he was the better horse.”
Boylesports quote Rewilding at 9-2 for the King George, while Coral offer both the winner and runner-up at 8s for the Arc.
O’Brien was notably candid about So You Think, admitting: “I will take responsibility for this personally.
“After he won his first two races so easily I had gone easy on him.
“He ran keen for the first two furlongs with Ryan and it was a strong-run race. He went and won his race but just got very tired in the last half a furlong.
“Frankie gave his horse a beautiful ride, on a horse that stays a mile and a half well, he just came and got him in the last 50 yards.
“I think it was trainer error, I didn’t have him fit enough for this kind of race and he’s given a good blow afterwards. I would think there’s improvement to come.
“Something like the Eclipse is a definite possible but like always we hadn’t looked beyond today.”
Moore added: “He was a bit gassy for the first two furlongs and when I asked him to pick up, he didn’t quite pick up as I expected.”
Sri Putra finished third, six lengths behind, but just ahead of the second-favourite Planteur.
Trainer Roger Varian said: “A race like that brings out the best in him — a strongly-run 10 furlongs on a stiff track.
“He’s done enough to warrant another go at the Eclipse. He ran a great race in it last year.”
But Planteur’s handler Elie Lellouche said: “I am naturally a bit disappointed with that performance and I have no explanation.”
