New Bay
New Bay ran a big race to finish fourth in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. Never far off the pace, Andre Fabre's horse hit the front on the run to the furlong pole, but he was overhauled by Found and Almanzor, who finished off their races late and wide, and he conceded third place to Minding with 100 yards to run.
Even in defeat, this was a fine run by New Bay, and it was probably better than the bare form suggests. The four races on the Outer Track at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Stakes day were all won by horses who came from the rear, and who raced up the home straight well away from the inside rail. New Bay raced up with the pace and towards the inside rail, so he can probably be marked up a fair bit on this bare performance.
Also, this was the Dubawi colt's second run back after a break. He wasn't overly impressive in winning a Group 3 race at Deauville in August on his first run since his seasonal debut, when he disappointed in the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Chantilly in May, and Saturday's run was a step forward from that. But there is every chance that he will step forward again now.
Winner of the French Derby last June, and of the Prix Niel last September, before he finished third behind Golden Horn and Flintshire in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, he is obviously a top class older middle-distance colt. You can be sure that Fabre will have him at concert pitch for the Arc again this year, and he will be one of the more interesting older horses in the race.
10th September 2016
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