BC Internationals: Mile contender Ribchester

Ribchester improved from two to three, and again during his four-year-old campaign, making him Europe’s leading miler ahead of his career finale in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

A credit to trainer Richard Fahey, Ribchester has never finished out of the top three (his record reflects one unplaced result thanks to a disqualification). In watching his races, you see a genuine performer who gives his all and keeps coming, as if not knowing – or refusing to countenance – that he’s beaten.

It’s an indicator of Fahey’s regard for him that he tried Ribchester in the 2015 Gimcrack (G2) as a maiden, who’d finished second on debut. Outperforming his 25-1 odds in the York feature, the Iffraaj colt took the runner-up spot. That caught the eye of the Godolphin talent scouts, and he was scooped up as a most promising prospect.

In his first outing in the royal blue silks, Ribchester was no longer a secret. He went off as the 13-8 favorite in the Mill Reef (G2) (click link for replay) and promptly broke his maiden at the expense of one of Godolphin’s better early-season two-year-olds, Log Out Island.

Ribchester was not seen again until the spring of 2016, when prepping in the Prix Djebel (G3) over heavy going at Maisons-Laffitte. Although a useful second, the still-green colt sideswiped a rival in the process of his rally and got himself demoted to fifth.

Advancing to the 2000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, Ribchester stayed on for third to Galileo Gold at odds of 33-1. Fahey lowered his sights for the Jersey (G3) at Royal Ascot, and the work-in-progress responded with a convincing victory. Even his status as co-highweight, shouldering 132 pounds, couldn’t mask his evident superiority.

Ribchester was now ready to try the division leaders in the Sussex (G1), an eagerly anticipated summit of Guineas winners – Galileo Gold versus French 2000 Guineas (G1) star The Gurkha and the Irish equivalent’s hero, Awtaad. The Sussex therefore furnished a barometer of just how much Ribchester had progressed when he flashed an eye-catching third. Had he been positioned closer to the pace, he could have made things more interesting for The Gurkha and runner-up Galileo Gold. Ribchester’s 3 1/2-length deficit with Galileo Gold from Newmarket had now shrunk to a short head.

Back in France for the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville, Ribchester achieved his top-level breakthrough by defeating smart older horses Vadamos and Ervedya. Galileo Gold, by now going retrograde, was only eighth.

Ribchester ran arguably his best race of 2016 in his seasonal finale in the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) at Ascot. Once Aidan O’Brien’s superstar filly Minding kicked away from him, Ribchester knuckled down and chased her all the way to the line, reducing her margin to just a half-length.

The phenomenal MINDING wins her seventh Group 1 under a relieved Ryan Moore to land the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes @Ascot #ChampionsDay pic.twitter.com/xQKLT5IpQB

— Channel 4 Racing (@Channel4Racing) October 15, 2016

Off that evidence, Ribchester was worth trying beyond a mile. He accordingly stepped up to about nine furlongs for his 2017 kick-off in the Dubai Turf (G1) on World Cup night. Leading early before easing into the tracking role, he rolled to the front again only to get run down late by Japan’s Vivlos and France’s Heshem. It was a commendable effort off the layoff, up in trip, all the more so since the top two had the benefit of a tightener, and the unexpectedly rain-softened ground likely demanded a greater degree of fitness.