The heady finances at flat racing’s elite level are underlined by how Aidan O’Brien has three horses running for several million dollars in Kentucky on Saturday night, but his priority is Henry Longfellow’s attempt at Group One success in Paris a day later.
Sunday’s Prix Du Moulin at Longchamp is a €450,000 pot, a prize hardly to be sneezed at although one that financially pales next to the riches on offer at Kentucky Downs.
America’s only solely turf racecourse continues its hugely lucrative autumn programme this weekend with a list of races worth a minimum of $1 million, doubling in value if the winner is Kentucky bred.
O’Brien has sent a trio of Ballydoyle ‘B-Listers’ to try to scoop up some of the remarkable prize money that’s at least partially generated by an on-course casino.
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On Sunday, it’s Donnacha O’Brien’s turn when he runs Lush Lips while Co Meath-based Mick Mulvany runs his Galway winner Bessie Abott in another $1 million juvenile event. Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario dons the colours of her new Team Valor ownership.
It’s eye-popping prize money but despite that, the pay-off to Henry Longfellow’s Coolmore owners should he land the Moulin will probably put it in the ha’penny place.
An unbeaten Group One winner as a juvenile, only City Of Troy was above Henry Longfellow in Ballydoyle’s classic pecking order at the start of the season.
An abortive effort in May’s French 2,000 Guineas was followed by a much better run in Royal Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes when runner-up to Rosallion.
On the strength of that, he started favourite for the Sussex only to fold very tamely behind Notable Speech after being harassed for an early lead.
For a colt that has had such high hopes swirling around him it has made for an unsatisfactory campaign.
Victory, however, in a stallion-making race such as the Moulin would be transformative for Henry Longfellow’s reputation. Already a top-flight winner as a juvenile, the regally-bred son of Dubawi and Minding would seal his future stud career with success in such a prestigious contest.
To do so he will have to reverse Sussex form with Notable Speech and get the better of the season’s outstanding older miler Charyn in a race off at 2.50pm Irish-time.
In the seven-strong field too is last season’s Foret winner Kelina but it looks to boil down to a fascinating contest between the top three in the betting.
Recent heavy rain in Paris has produced an ease in the ground that should be in the Irish hope’s favour and could prove against Notable Speech in particular.
O’Brien last won the Moulin in 2019 when Circus Maximus was allowed keep it by the stewards despite causing significant interference to the runner-up Romanised.
That helped make Circus Maximus a valuable Coolmore stallion and no matter the manner of how he does it the same would apply in spades to Henry Longfellow if he can emerge on top.
There will be other Irish interest at Longchamp when Joseph O’Brien’s Midnight Strike lines up in the Group Three Prix La Rochette (12.23) and Dermot Weld’s Melbourne Cup entry Harbour Wind goes in the Prix Gladiateur at 3.25.
Mick Mulvany hasn’t been done any favours with the draw in Kentucky Downs as Besse Abott is drawn 16 of 16 in her race.
However, the prospect of the most valuable success of his near-20-year training career is still there with a filly who overcame a slow start – and some tail swishing – to win on her Galway festival debut under Wesley Joyce.
She will line up for a race off at 10.51 Irish-time under Rosario, the Kentucky Derby-winning rider who rode Tam Valor’s Animal Kingdom to land the 2013 Dubai World Cup.
Mulvany has a couple of runners at his local Navan track on Saturday that is the sole domestic card this weekend.
It is one of just six blank Sundays in Ireland this year and scheduling demands see the unremarkable programme clashing with Saturday evening’s soccer international between the Republic of reland and England in Dublin. That kicks off at 5pm before the final two races are run.
It leaves Navan looking the epitome of an industry meeting and hardly an appealing prospect for anyone but the most hardened racegoer.
Johnny Murtagh also has a couple of runners and both Final Curtain and Emerald Harmony look to hold decent chances for a trainer whose string are in good form.
Another local trainer, Noel Meade, puts a first-time hood on Mick Collins in the concluding maiden. That, and a drop back to 10 furlongs, could see Colin Keane’s mount go close.
