THE TIME SPORT

The mighty battle should outshine the milestones. Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore marched on to new Royal Ascot records but it was the power and grit of Auguste Rodin that will be the lasting memory of this Prince of Wales.

From the start there was to be no hiding place. The fact that winning this would extend Aidan O’Brien’s record to 87 Royal Ascot winners and put Ryan Moore on 81 level with the now spectating Frankie Dettori mattered not a jot. The gate, slammed open. The two pacemakers, Snobbish and Hans Anderson legged it to the lead. This was no time for fairy stories.         

The filly Inspiral was slow out of the stalls and settled at the back of the stretched-out ten-strong pack just behind the French pair Zarakem and Horizon Dore. Snobbish hared away in front three length of clear Hans Anderson, with Royal Rhyme and then Auguste Rodin at equal distances as the pacemakers pressed on.

Running to the turn the leaders were running empty. Royal Rhyme drove up to take over with Auguste Rodin already powering behind him. Alflaila was closing with Zarakem daring up the inside, Horizon Dore on the outer and Inspiral clearly not a factor.

Royal Rhyme had it at the quarter pole and while Auguste Rodin took him well before the furlong marker this was not going to be the easy cake walk you might expect from his 13/8 starting price. Horizon and Zarakem were now on his tail and hungry in pursuit. The favourite would have to fight.

At the line Auguste Rodin had three quarters of length over Zarakem, another length to Horizon Dore, and two more to Alflaila followed by Royal Rhyme and then Inspiral beaten 6 lengths in all. To have had less than a length to spare against a 33-1 outsider hardly rings as the stamp of champions, but winning is the thing and it is attitude that counts.

In those last 150 yards, Ryan Moore the world’s most compulsively effective jockey asked and Auguste Rodin lowered his long bay neck in determined answer. Winning is what matters. Has now won at the highest level in each of his three competitive seasons and in England, Ireland and the USA and is the first Derby winner this century to come on and win at Royal Ascot as a four year old.

Who cares that he blew out in last year’s 2,000 Guineas and King George and failed to fire in Dubai this March, this son of the Japanese super star Deep Impact is a champion in his own right.

“People are always very quick to knock horses,” said Ryan Moore from the sweat soaked saddle. “We kept the Derby winner in training and everyone, as soon as they get beat, they want to have a go at you.”

“He took me there going very well and was waiting for me to ask him. When I did he showed great courage and put his head down and wanted to win. He’s a fantastic horse, a proper horse. He’s been a real good horse and he deserved that.”

Last word to an unfamiliar figure in the winning circle, an elegantly slender figure in high heels and pink Ascot fashion with a smile that stretched all the long way to Tipperary. It was Rachel Richardson who rides Auguste Rodin every morning at Ballydoyle and has always kept belief when others mocked her hero as “The Thinker.”

“He’s very special,” she said. “He just needs to get involved. But he has such a high cruising speed, such a stride and you can see how tremendous he is in a finish.” Auguste Rodin’s season is far from finished. Things could get mightier yet.