Bluestocking fulfilled the huge confidence of jockey Rossa Ryan as well as the hopes and dreams of trainer Ralph Beckett to put the emerald and pink silks of Juddmonte back into the hallowed Prix de'l Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner's circle for a record seventh time Oct. 6.
In a near replay of last month's Prix Vermeille (G1), it was Aventure who came out of the pack to throw it down to Bluestocking but, despite the higher stakes, this time there never seemed much chance of the 3-year-old drawing level, as the classy daughter of Camelot answered Ryan's urgings with long and relentless strides, carrying the pair to glory.
Supplemented at a cost of €120,000 ($132,000) by the family of the late Khalid Abdullah Wednesday, she joins the owners' own Enable (2017), Golden Horn (2015), Treve (2013) and Danedream (2011) as recent winners to recoup their late entry fee.
For both trainer and owner, there was a more delayed sense of gratification a year on from Westover's gallant second to Ace Impact.
"As much as anything else I was expecting something to come and catch her late, as happened last year," said Beckett. "She actually hit the front earlier than Westover did. It's a long straight and it's always a concern. But it was going to take a good one to go by her and she didn't give in easily."
Beckett noted her determination: "She showed that in the Vermeille when she got headed and then fought back and beat Aventure.
"I think after York (when Bluestocking was fourth in the International) we were going to go back to fillies-only, whatever happened. After she won what looked like a strong Vermeille at the time, that gave us encouragement to come here on pure form. Obviously, she enjoyed it around here three weeks ago, I think that was a positive. She enjoyed the test.
"We were slightly taking it on trust that we could get her back here. It went pretty smoothly at home, largely because I didn't ask her any questions, it was all about wellbeing really.
"She came here in good form, I was pleased with the way she looked in the preliminaries before the race. She's a real professional, she knows what's required and she's worked it out for herself. That makes our job a whole lot easier."
Granted a near-perfect draw in stall three, Ryan was able to sit just behind the pacesetting Los Angeles, a sit which proved even more important than any could have imagined as Haya Zark fell back through the field after suffering what proved to be a fatal injury, one from which his rider William Buick was fortunate to escape unhurt.
The resulting scrimmaging more or less ended the chances of Continuous and Mqse De Sevigne at the tail of the field, while Shin Emperor flattened out in the straight, having looked to hold every chance, and Sosie ran on to be a well-beaten fourth.
Ryan had come up with his own plan in the Vermeille and admitted afterward that he saw a similar shape to a rare Arc without much pace.
"In the Vermeille, being drawn where we were opened doors for us and it's probably won the Arc for us," said Ryan, whose ability to analyze a race and make a plan becomes more impressive with each passing big-race success.
"I'd never thought she'd win! @RalphBeckett can't believe Bluestocking is the 2024 Arc winner... pic.twitter.com/R5fwDUW9BQ
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 6, 2024
"The draw today was key and she's been jumping and settling well. Once I got in behind Ryan (Moore on Los Angeles), I got into a great rhythm. From thereon I had every chance to win, but we also had to see what was really there, and she didn't let us down."
Sitting next to Beckett and Juddmonte general manager Barry Mahon in the winner's press conference, Ryan was asked how confident he had been beforehand.
"When I dissected the form I was fairly confident, but I wasn't confident enough to tell anyone," said Ryan, who put his finger to his lips after crossing the line.
"A horse can really change your life and she has mine. It's all down to her trainer and the team at home. They've made my dreams come true. To do it on a global stage is what it's all about.
"She has fulfilled what I possibly thought she could do and all credit to the two men sitting next to me. I'm just the lucky one to be on her, but there are a lot more people who have done a lot more work than me with her."
Christophe Ferland was filled with pride as his Aventure more than repaid the decision to face Bluestocking again rather than stay against fillies and mares in the Opera.
"She's run the perfect race, she was exceptional," said Ferland.
"We had the same fight as in the Vermeille. Obviously, there is some regret that we were second but it was a beautiful second in an Arc de Triomphe.
"When she went after the leader there was a moment when I thought she'd do it, but we've once again come across a real racehorse and an exceptional 4-year-old filly."
Beckett has long been recognized as a master with homebred middle-distance fillies, although the exploits of Kinross and the like have put to bed any ideas that there are not many more strings to his bow. But he was happy to accept this was the biggest day of a training career which already includes two wins in the Oaks, a Classic record he added to in the Irish version in July with You Got To Me.
"It's extraordinary," Beckett said. "I grew up watching Rainbow Quest and Dancing Brave. To train the Arc winner in these colors is a huge thrill and it's a privilege to train for Juddmonte. To train an Arc winner for them is extraordinary."
The late Prince Khalid began his winning run in the Arc when Rainbow Quest was handed the 1985 race in the stewards' room, while Dancing Brace won with one of the most scintillating displays in Longchamp history the following year.
The 2024 running may not have been won with a knockout blow, but instead required its heroine to give freely and generously of her bravery and talent, something Bluestocking has learned to do in the most complete way you could ask of any Arc winner.
With her victory in the Arc, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In event, Bluestocking earned an all-expenses paid berth to the Nov. 2 $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.
Supplementing success! Bluestocking stamps her mark on the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for @RalphBeckett and @Rossaryan15 at @paris_longchamp... pic.twitter.com/ihd4xeP2Mr
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 6, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Bluestocking and Los Angeles are two of 12 individual group/grade 1 winners sired by the 2012 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot and both are out of mares by Juddmonte's brilliant Dansili, making them to Danehill, the sire of Camelot's second dam Fickle. The cross has a top-class stakes winners-to-runners rate of 13.3%.
Emulous, the dam of Bluestocking, was trained by Dermot Weld to win the Matron Stakes (G1) and is a full sister to group 3 winners First Sitting and Daring Diva. The latter is the second dam of Kentucky Derby (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Mandaloun , who stands at Juddmonte's Kentucky farm.
Bluestocking's 3-year-old Showcasing (GB) half brother Qirat is entered in the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale later this month. Trained, like his brilliant sister, by Ralph Beckett he was runner-up in the Challange Cup at Ascot on Saturday.
Bluestocking has a 2-year-old Frankel half brother named Dissident, a yearling half sister by Kingman and Emulous has a Frankel filly foal at foot.
