Tangerine dream triumph for Eaves

Making virtually every yard of running in the prestigious Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye before clinging on in a desperately close finish to help Malton-based jockey Tom Eaves record a deserved first Group One triumph, the 20-1 chance became the ninth British-trained winner of this race in the past 10 years.

It was scintillating performance. Prohibit, the talented winner of the King’s Stand Stakes where Smart’s horse trailed home in last place, found the Longchamp pace too hot to handle and was seventh while York’s Nunthorpe winner Margot Did never featured under Jamie Spencer.

The remarkable turnaround in form does not end here.

Tangerine Trees had been 10th to Sole Power, the 2010 Nunthorpe winner, in Haydock’s Temple Stakes in May but Edward Lynam’s talented horse could only finish third in Paris behind the Yorkshire hero and the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Secret Asset.

Though Tangerine Trees won at Newmarket in April, dreams of l’Abbaye glory had seemed distant when the durable six-year-old put his Haydock and Royal Ascot performances behind him when stepping down in grade to win the Beverley Bullet Stakes at the East Yorkshire track on his last outing.

This was a second Group One win for Smart whose Sil Sila won the 1996 French Oaks.

Smart, who had not even travelled to France, said: “It’s fantastic. I can only seem to do it in France for some reason!

“This horse has so much speed and that is how he wins his races, he was flicking his ears in the last furlong and I thought he still had a bit left.

“It’s great for the horse and the owners and I must thank everyone in the yard as after he won his Group Three at Newmarket, he had a niggly back problem and everyone has been great.”

Of future plans for his stable star who has now won 12 out of his 34 career starts, Smart added: “I don’t know what we’ll do with him now. We’l get him home and see what’s what.”

The significance of the race was reflected by the prize money – Tangerine Trees won nearly £150,000 to add to his previous career earnings of £104,000.

The significance of the occasion was not lost on Eaves, who said: “It’s brilliant – I can’t really believe it at the minute.

“He’s progressed all the time and to win, that is just icing on the cake.

“I knew he was very quick but he got there very easily and I just tried to hang on to him for as long as I could and kick for home then.

“This is very special. It’s great just to be here on Arc day but to have a Group 1 winner as well is only just sinking in.”

Joint-owner Pat Barrell said: “We hoped he’d run very well but we’re only small owners and it’s an absolute thrill to come here – I can’t explain it. He’s a very, very fast horse and Tom gave him a marvellous ride.”

Barry Matthews, whose wife Marie bred Tangerine Trees, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic, unbelievable. We knew he was a good horse, but to lead a crack team of sprinters and they couldn’t go with him.

“He just kept on and on – when they came at him he pulled out more. He’s run five times this year and won three – what more can we ask? This is my best moment in racing.”

A jockey who attached to Jenny Pitman’s yard when she was becoming established in the National Hunt training ranks in the early 1980s, Smart had harboured high hopes of also winning the lucrative totepool Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar on Saturday.

However, he had to play second fiddle to another North Yorkshire trainer, Kevin Ryan, whose Masamah was 10th in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

Thirsk-based Ryan had been unsure whether to risk the Bogart colt on the quick ground after the horse failed to sparkle at Glorious Goodwood.

However his gamble paid off. Bogart, just one of many top juveniles at Ryan’s yard, seemed unaffected by the sun-baked conditions on this occasion and was always handy as the talented Phillip Makin rode him out to beat Smart’s Excelette by a length-and-a-half.

“I very nearly took him out because of the ground and he went down (to post) very gingerly,” said Ryan after the 11-2 success.

“We’ll go to France next for a Group Two we won with Our Jonathan (Criterium de Maisons Laffitte). He’s a smashing horse with plenty of scope.”

Tim Easterby’s Ponty Acclaim bounced back to form by beating a field of smart juveniles in the Jaguar XJ Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot.

Twice a winner at Ripon and also on the scoresheet at Thirsk, the youngster had appeared to have her limitations exposed in an Ayr Listed event last time.

But the 20-1 chance looked much more at home on this faster surface and having travelled sweetly for Ted Durcan, she quickened up smartly to take the lead in the last of the five furlongs.

“She’s huge and scopey, and will strengthen over the winter. She only run one average race, at Ayr last time on heavy ground which she hated,” said Durcan.

“She’s honest and has loads of speed, I think she’ll strengthen well. She’s a sweetheart – all you have to do is aim her.”

Malton’s John Quinn could run Red Duke in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday before heading to the Breeders’ Cup. The Hard Spun colt was a surprise winner of the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting, but backed that up with two fine displays in the Vintage Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.

Quinn must now decide whether to let his charge step up to Group One company at Headquarters, or go straight for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs –- home of the Kentucky Derby.

“The Breeders’ Cup is still the plan. He’s still in the Dewhurst, but we’ll see,” said Quinn.