Boudot Writes His Own History

[Wandering Eyes]

PARIS, France–Two races into the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe card at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, everything seemed to be going to script: two more juvenile Group 1s, and two more trophies gone the way of Jessica Harrington and Godolphin-the latter, of course, with a son of Shamardal. The Niarchos family’s Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) made it two Group 1s with 2-year-old fillies within seven days for Harrington’s Kildare yard following Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the G1 Cheveley Park S., while ‘TDN Rising Star’ Victor Ludorum (Ire) made it three individual Group 1 2-year-old winners for Shamardal on the year, all in the Godolphin blue, joining Pinatubo (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire).

The stage seemed to be set, then, for Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) to build on her 12-race win streak and become the first treble winner of the Arc. Quietly waiting to write another chapter in his own remarkable rise, however, was the 27-year-old Pierre-Charles Boudot, who swooped in the dying strides aboard Gestut Ammerland and Newsells Park’s Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) to land his first Arc and fourth Group 1 of the year.

Like Mickael Barzalona-who had been aboard Fabre’s Victor Ludorum-and Maxime Guyon, Boudot has come up as an apprentice to France’s master trainer. Boudot rewarded Fabre with a win aboard Persian King (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains in May. It was the rider’s first Classic win and he didn’t have to wait long for his second, steering Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) to victory in the G1 Prix de Diane the following month for trainer Francis Graffard. Just a week later, Boudot and Graffard partnered for their first Royal Ascot successes with Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) in the G1 Coronation S.

Boudot signaled his readiness by winning all three Group 2s and four races overall on Saturday’s ParisLongchamp card for four different trainers, and he closed out the Group 1 action on Sunday with another come-from-behind win aboard One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G1 Prix de la Foret for owner/breeder Lael Stable and trainer William Haggas.

The great Fabre represents the opposite end of the spectrum, with now a record eight Arc wins and near countless other big- race trophies on his mantle.

Dietrich von Boetticher’s Gestut Ammerland bred Hurricane Run (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who raced in the stud’s red and green silks when winning the G1 Irish Derby but was sold to Michael Tabor by the time he won the Arc three months later for Fabre, and von Boetticher paid tribute to the trainer post-race on Sunday, saying, “I didn’t expect that anyone would beat Enable, but you can’t do more than try and Waldgeist looked well. Andre was positive and Andre is the man you never, ever doubt. So we all believed in him, and we’re here today because Andre was right.”

Von Boetticher and Newsells Park owner Andreas Jacobs defered questions about the horse’s future, with von Boetticher noting that Fabre would again be consulted.

“It would be natural to say it can’t get any better than this and we should finish, but I have known Andre Fabre for so many years that I would never make a decision which he doesn’t approve of,” he said. “So I’m not making any decision yet.”

Waldgeist’s dam, the 10-year-old Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), was bred by Newsells Park, with Ammerland coming in as a partner after she went through the ring for €100,000 as a yearling in Deauville. Waldlerche won the G3 Prix Penelope at three for-you guessed it-Andre Fabre. Waldgeist is her first foal and was bred on a foal share with Coolmore, which stayed in on the colt until late 2017. At that time, Waldgeist had won the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud a year prior but had gone winless at three. (Click here for a TDN video feature on Waldlerche)

Waldgeist, incidentally, is likely destined for a place at Newsells Park Stud alongside Nathaniel, the sire of Enable. Jacobs said it is no mistake that Newsells continues to associate itself with classy middle-distance performers.

“We are believers in tough horses,” he said. “Nathaniel has been a tough horse and he has a special pedigree and comes from a special family. Waldgeist is very similar, with the same father and a similar family type. Being originally from Germany we’re very known for tough staying horses, so we’ll stick with this. We’re not just going into the fashion business of sprinters and early 2-year-olds.”

Waldgeist’s stark improvement this year at the age of five leaves one wondering what the horse could yet achieve on the track, but von Boetticher said the decision on his racing future would be made entirely in the horse’s best interest.

“I think with a horse like this everything would be possible,” he said. “On the other hand, he has done everything over the years; a lot of traveling from one end of the world to the other running against tough competition in the top races. He is a living being, not a machine, and you should not exhaust a living being. This is about as much as we all hoped he could do. We’ll certainly take into consideration what is good for him, not for us.”

One Master wasn’t the only Group 1 winner on Sunday to take the spoils back to England, with Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) far outrunning her 12-1 odds to dominate the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye by three lengths. It would look very likely that the 3-year-old filly, a homebred for Terry and Margaret Holdcroft’s Bearstone Stud in Shropshire and trained by Kevin Ryan, will be seen in France again, as she has gone three for three in the country in her most recent appearances.

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