Racing: Whipper leaves Attraction stuck in the mud

John Cobb
Monday 16 August 2004 00:00 BST
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Mark Johnston demonstrated the dangers of talking to yourself when Attraction finished stone last of 10 in the Prix Jacques le Marois on rain-soaked ground at Deauville yesterday. "We talked ourselves into running her when we got here," Johnston said, "having said we wouldn't run on soft.

Mark Johnston demonstrated the dangers of talking to yourself when Attraction finished stone last of 10 in the Prix Jacques le Marois on rain-soaked ground at Deauville yesterday. "We talked ourselves into running her when we got here," Johnston said, "having said we wouldn't run on soft.

"She'll never run on soft again," the Middleham trainer said. "Possible targets are the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Prix du Moulin and Matron Stakes."

That Attraction finished last was perhaps less of a shock than the fact that she was running at all after a week of bulletins indicating she would not take part if the going was soft. When a storm on Thursday returned the Normandy course, built on drained marshland, to its original state, her non-participation seemed assured.

Nevertheless, the dual Classic winner, who had been unbeaten in eight races until being outpointed by Soviet Song at Newmarket's July meeting, did take her chance in Europe's richest mile prize and even started as 6-4 favourite. After racing prominently to half-way, she rapidly came under pressure and dropped through the field.

The winner was the Robert Collet-trained, Christophe Soumillon-ridden Whipper, who held last year's winner, Six Perfections, by a length. Mick Channon's Majestic Desert, who had chased home Attraction at Royal Ascot, was best of the British in fourth, with Salselon fifth, and Godolphin's Kheleyf sixth and Byron ninth.

One trainer who has taken heed of the patter on his window pane is Michael Jarvis and he has pulled Rakti out of tomorrow's Group One International Stakes at York. The Knavesmire is living up to its name with the forecast going good to soft.

"Rakti doesn't run due to the ground," Jarvis said. "The horse is absolutely A1, but he's just a good, fast-ground horse."

Aidan O'Brien said yesterday that he will not appeal against Powerscourt's disqualification from Saturday's Arlington Million in Chicago. The Ballydoyle raider was an emphatic winner of the £335,000 prize, but caused interference to the fourth, Epalo, and second, Kicken Kris, when drifting right for Jamie Spencer.

The stewards placed Powerscourt fourth and the race was awarded to Kicken Kris, with Neville Callaghan's Magistretti promoted to second.

"Powerscourt ran well and won nicely, but what happened is just unfortunate," O'Brien said: "Powerscourt will go for the Irish Champion Stakes, and the Canadian International."

At Pontefract, with Frankie Dettori in France and Seb Sanders banned, Kieren Fallon took advantage of their absence to stretch his lead at the top of the jockeys' table to eight with an easy win on Stream Of Gold.

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