Christophe Soumillon reflects on a thrilling G1 victory for France at Sandown Park – although it came with a sting in the tail for the jockey
The Ag
a Khan had his first winner in Britain since Harzand’s Derby success in 2016 when Christophe Soumillon partnered Prix du Jockey Club hero Vadeni to a thrilling success in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday [July 2].
Supplemented to the G1 contest earlier this week at a cost of £50,000, the son of Churchill is the first French-trained winner of the historic contest for 62 years. Vadeni, who had won the French Derby by five lengths, scored by a neck from fast-finishing Mishriff, who met trouble in running, with last year’s two-year-old champion Native Trail only a head back in third.
It wasn’t all wine and roses for Soumillon, however, as the 41-year-old was banned for 12 days for careless riding. As he celebrated a famous victory, the ten-time French champion allowed his mount to veer to the right after the line, badly hampering Native Trail and Lord North. Here he talks about a memorable afternoon.
It is amazing – I don’t know if it is better than winning the French Derby but it is something special because it is so difficult.
I came here a few times maybe 20 years ago to ride the race with a horse I won the French Guineas on and then after that I came one time for Aidan O’Brien as well and that was very tough.
The thing is when you ride French horses they have quite a good turn of foot and they know how to run to this kind of pace, but honestly today he did something amazing. I knew when I came onto the straight I would be there but I didn’t believe he would be able to quicken that much.
I was really confident in him. We knew the pace would be all right and I didn’t want to do anything stupid with him. I just wanted to get him cover and get him relaxed – and as you can see when I asked him to quicken, he came so well.
Out of the gate he didn’t jump particularly fast and I saw William [Buick, jockey of Native Trail] was going to try have a good position. Mishriff jumped out the gate very slow and when he came on my inside I knew he would stay on the rail so I just waited in the last position. The pace was just fine – we didn’t go really fast but for my horse everything was perfect.
He was really relaxed and he changed legs perfectly everywhere I wanted and when I came out of the turn the pace started to pick up and for 50 or 100 yards he was a bit off the bridle, so I had to give him a chance but when you go at the small uphill at the two-furlong pole he took the bridle and changed legs.
That was the point I was thinking about waiting a bit more but I saw Mishriff on my inside completely stopped. I say: ‘I’m not going to wait, I’m going to go through the gap to get my horse going.’ I just let him go and that’s why I maybe came 50 or 100 yards too early to hit the front.
Everything was fine but maybe 80 to 100 yards from the line he stumbled and he was unbalanced for a few strides and I had just a neck in front of William. For the last 50 yards I felt a horse come to my outside and I was like ‘please don’t give up – keep going!’
He was a bit like Almanzor. When Jean-Claude brings a champion like that on top form, even on a tough track they give you that bit extra that these champions can give you.
For me he is a pure mile-and-a-quarter horse. In the beginning of the race he doesn’t show too much speed but the way he accelerates and if you look at him physically he really looks like that. We will see how he goes. Next is probably for the Irish Champion Stakes and from there we will see.
For sure he is a really special horse – at the top of my list with Dalakhani and Zarkava.
Referring to his celebrations after crossing the line and veering over towards the placed horses on his inside:
I just celebrated – at that point I wasn’t looking in front of me the last 20 yards. I don’t know the track and when I passed the line I didn’t see William Buick and James Doyle on my inside.
Unfortunately they had to check both their horses quite badly and like I said to the stewards, that is my fault. I hadn’t ridden here for maybe 15 years and I forgot that the rail come back out quite fast, and my horse just shifted to the corner.
I shouldn’t have first celebrated like that and I should have looked to my inside to make sure I hadn’t put them in trouble at that point. Maybe 12 days is a bit hard – in France, if you put somebody on the ground it’s 15 days and it was not on purpose. It was after the line but it’s the decision of the stewards so I have to accept it.
I’m just glad none of the horses have any problems and came home safe. I’ve worked very hard this season and I’m going to have a little holiday.
Christophe Soumillon was speaking in post-race media interviews, including the Jockey Club media team, ITV Racing and Racing TV
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