Waldgeist edges out Coronet in thrilling finish to secure second Group 1 victory

Waldgeist showed his improved form this spring was no flash in the pan when running down Frankie Dettori and Coronet to claim success on the line in Sunday's Group 1 contest.

Among the best of his generation at three, the son of Galileo rather lost his way after finishing fourth to Capri in last summer's Irish Derby but was a notable market mover for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe following a wide-margin success in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly last month.

Paddy Power now make him a 16-1 chance (from 20) to add to his trainer Andre Fabre's seven victories in the Arc, making him the second choice among the home defence behind Jockey Club winner Study Of Man.

Race result

Of more immediate concern is the Qipco King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in just under four weeks' time, a race for which Waldgeist remains under consideration, although Fabre admitted he would have preferred an easier success here.

The trainer said: "I was pleased. He had a hard race and he's in the King George and I'm hesitating. If he'd won easily I'd have gone to Ascot but we'll have to see how he recovers. The only two races for him are the King George and then the Arc with a prep run."

Last year's Arc runner-up Cloth Of Stars has looked something of a handful since boiling over in the Dubai Sheema Classic but was in the process of running a much better race when the saddle slipped from under Vincent Cheminaud turning for home.

Under the circumstances, finishing two lengths behind his stablemate in fourth was a promising effort.

"I was pleased Cloth Of Stars behaved and he ran well, I was delighted," added Fabre. For a while he came there like a possible winner before he went a bit wide with the saddle problem."

The overwhelming sense for those in behind was one of frustration, with John Gosden having come closest of all with Coronet, beaten a nose having been supplemented for the race on Thursday.

"She ran a super, super race," said Gosden, who switched his plans with Coronet as temperatures soared in France and Ireland.

"They do a very good job with the track here when you get a heatwave, whereas the Curragh is a huge open space and impossible to get right. She wasn’t happy there in the Irish Oaks. She's come here and run a blinder."

John Gosden came close to pulling off a Group 1 win with CoronetCredit: Edward Whitaker

Dettori looked to have timed his challenge just right having run down Salouen inside the furlong marker but lost out in a finish of stretched necks and bowed heads.

"I think they went a little leisurely with a bunched finish, but I don’t think going a stride faster would have changed the result," said Gosden. "She's run great. There’s the Yorkshire Oaks, the Nassau if it rains and then there’s the Champions Filly and Mares at Ascot."

Rest of Saint-Cloud

Owner-breeders Dietrich von Boetticher and Newsell's Park Stud pulled of the remarkable feat of winning the chief supporting race on the card, the Group 2 Prix de Malleret, with Waldlied, the year-younger half-sister to Waldgeist.

Like her better-known sibling, Waldlied is trained by Fabre and was ridden by a confident Pierre-Charles Boudot, who let the daughter of New Approach stride on and drew right away from Fuse with Musidora heroine Give And Take six lengths further back in third.

Andre Fabre is eyeing the Qatar Prix Vermeille for Waldlied

Fabre wasn't getting carried away with the strength of the opposition but has the Qatar Prix Vermeille – which this year has received a big injection of prize-money and will be run for €600,000 – in mind for Waldlied, who made a very big visual impression.

"She won well and I'm delighted but it was a bad race," said Fabre. "She'll now go for a prep race and the Prix Vermeille, but she needs to strengthen."

Fabre's domination of the day's Pattern races extended to the Listed Prix Saint-Patrick over a mile, in which Orbaan and Silvestre De Sousa left it late before getting the better of the Simon Crisford-trained Red Mist.

"He looked beaten and Silvestre said that when he put the whip down he saw the horse upsides him and started racing," said Ted Voute, racing manager to owner/breeder Prince Faisal.

"He's done it very impressively although he'll need to improve to go to a Group 1. He's in the Sussex and we’ll have to see what the next few days bring."

Read the thoughts of Gestut Ammerland's Dietrich von Boetticher on a notable family double for Waldgeist and Waldlied at racingpost.com/bloodstock