Flaxman Holdings Ltd.’s Erupt (Dubawi {Ire}) unleashed a powerful late kick to take the GI Pattison Canadian International by one length over Dartmouth (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). It was the
4-year-old’s first victory since winning the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in July of last year. Erupt was three off the rail and just off the pace in fourth as World Approval (Northern Afleet) took them through dawdling fractions of :27.00, :54.07 and 1:19.84. Dartmouth was first to challenge the gray pacesetter at the top of the home stretch, but Erupt was soon finding his best stride and surged to the front with authority, bounding clear in the final furlong.
“I was right behind the leader and when I asked him, he gave a very good turn of foot,” said winning rider Stephane Pasquier. “I didn’t have to ask him so much. I was a bit worried about my draw number outside, but voila! When you have luck, it is easy to win.”
Asked if the victory had earned Erupt a trip to the Breeders’ Cup, Pasquier added, “I think, after winning a race like this, we definitely have to go there.”
William Buick, aboard Dartmouth, had no complaints about his mount’s runner-up finish.
“The trip was great,” Buick said. “He ran good. The winner went off and won easy but he stuck on well for second. I’m delighted with the run, he did his best. He ran his heart out.”
Erupt captured back-to-back French group wins in 2015, first taking the June 14 G3 Prix du Lys Longines at Chantilly and then scoring by two lengths in the July 14 G1 Grand Prix de Paris. He was fourth in the Sept. 13 G2 Prix Niel and fifth in the Oct. 4
G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before ending his season with a sixth-place effort in the Nov. 29 G1 Japan Cup. A well-beaten ninth over soft ground while making his seasonal debut in the May 24 G1 Prix d’Ispahan, Erupt was second over firm ground in the July 3 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He was fifth behind Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the July 23 G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot and was coming off a third-place effort in the Aug. 28 G2 Grand Prix de Deauville.
Jockey Stephane Pasquier acknowledged the International win made up for what had been a trying 2016 campaign for Erupt.
“We won a Group 1 in France at three-years-old, but it was a difficult start to this year,” he said. “Today he came back very easily and I’m very happy to have found my horse again.”
Extract from TDN, Monday October 17th 2016