Getaway

Getaway put up a fine performance to land the Grosser Preis Von Baden at Baden-Baden on Sunday, and is now a genuine Arc de Triomphe outsider. The son of Monsun left Andre Fabre at the end of last season, but his form doesn’t seem to have dipped at all for moving to Jens Hirschberger’s yard. What has happened, however, is that the move has meant that he has gone largely under the radar as an Arc contender. It is highly unlikely that he would be available at 20/1 for the Arc if he was still with Fabre. Fourth in the Arc in 2007, less than two lengths behind Dylan Thomas, it didn’t really happen for Getaway last season. He disappointed in the Coronation Cup on his second start of the season, after running out an impressive winner of the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes on his debut – remember that he was 5/4 favourite in the Coronation Cup to beat the likes of Soldier Of Fortune and Youmzain – and his season never really got going. He did make it to the Arc, but the ground wasn’t as soft as he likes it, and he was ridden too far back in the field before finishing well to take eighth place, just five lengths behind the winner Zarkava.

Ironically, this season has gone swimmingly for Getaway. He has won two Group 1 contests and finished second, beaten a short head, in the other when the ground was plenty fast enough for him. His latest effort on Sunday was his best of the season and possibly his best ever, earning a Racing Post Rating of 124, the same rating as he earned when he was fourth in the Arc in 2007. He travelled well, moved nicely into the straight, quickened well to take up the running a furlong out and stayed on really well to win by three lengths from Eastern Anthem, with Youmzain another half a length back in third.

Getaway is six years old now, and many people will disregard his Arc chances, but this was a fine performance, and he did it easily. He will have to improve on this again if he is to win the Arc, but there is every chance that he will, especially if the ground comes up soft. The Grosser Preis Von Baden is not the recognised Arc trial that, say, tomorrow’s Prix Foy or Prix Niel are, but it was a decent race, and Marienbard did win it before going on to Arc glory in 2002. The other element that is in Getaway’s favour is that he loves soft ground. If you are having an ante post bet in the Arc at this stage, you have to either back Sea The Stars or a horse that wants cut in the ground. If it comes up fast, it is impossible to see John Oxx’s horse getting beaten as long as he is healthy and well on the day, but if it comes up soft, you get a double-whammy as the favourite probably won’t run, and the soft ground horses will be at an advantage.

6th September 2009

© The Irish Field, 12th September 2009