'Very few horses could do it' - no stopping Whistlejacket in Prix Morny as Ryan Moore records 200th top-level victory

Whistlejacket defied an eight-day turnaround and a determined challenge from Rashabar to win the Sumbe Prix Morny under the galvanising force of Ryan Moore, who was claiming his 200th Group/Grade 1 career success.

Bounced straight into a prominent pitch on the rail, Whistlejacket was challenged from out in the centre of the track by Rashabar, while Daylight circled the field from her high draw before flying home for third. 

Aidan O'Brien – winning the Morny for the fifth time – was inclined to blame racing circumstances for Whistlejacket's defeat by Babouche in the Phoenix Stakes last weekend and Moore left little to chance here. He sustained a high tempo throughout and, while it was hard to tell if Whistlejacket was headed by Rashabar at some stage, his mount was back on top by three-quarters of a length at the line.

Whistlejacket is a brother to 2022 Phoenix winner Little Big Bear and O'Brien paid tribute to the mental strength of both horses as the key ingredient in being able even to contemplate backing up so quickly.

"It was the boss’s decision to come back here," said O'Brien. "The plan was that, because he was so fast and so precocious, we thought he could do both races, which is a very tough thing to do, especially when they're only a week apart.

"He has an incredible temperament, it’s unbelievable how chilled he is, and his brother was the same. [He is] totally engrossed in his own life, he doesn’t see much outside of his own mind. It’s very unusual and a very big asset to a horse. 

"After a week it’s very difficult. Very few horses could do it but we thought if any horse could, it was him."

MV Magnier and Aidan O'Brien receive Ryan Moore's debrief after Whistlejacket's Prix Morny victory

Bookmakers' prices for a variety of targets were flying about in the wake of Whistlejacket's success but, with O'Brien insisting that the son of No Nay Never is all speed, the most relevant were quotes for the Middle Park, for which Paddy Power cut him to 5-2 favourite (from 4-1). 

"He’s a five/six-furlong horse. He’s a Middle Park type and then maybe a Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Sprint] horse. He’s very quick," said O'Brien. "I think it'll probably be the Middle Park next and then the Breeders’ Cup after that."

Brian Meehan had to give second best again at Deauville, after Jayarebe followed the remarkable Economics home on Thursday, and was left to reflect that the draw had made life hard for Sean Levey on this occasion. 

"No disrespect to the winner, you can never say anything like that, but if we'd had the rail I think he would have won," said Meehan after he and Sam Sangster had serenaded Rashabar back into the number two spot.

"It was a really good, solid run and the horse is progressing, as it's one of the toughest Prix Mornys I've seen in a number of years.

Ryan Moore returns to the Deauville winner's enclosure on WhistlejacketCredit: APRH/Clementine Veret

"I've won the race twice and this horse is better [than Bad As I Wanna Be and Arcano]. What I really want to do is take him to the Breeders' Cup. I think he'll travel well and we'll work from that." 

Daylight was drawn furthest from the rail in stall nine and Mickael Barzalona decided to take back and circle the field, before having to wait for a gap to appear between Whistlejacket and the tiring Arabie. That left a certain amount of regret in the camp, for all that Gousserie Racing's Pauline Chehboub was among the first to congratulate O'Brien.

"I'm a little bit disappointed," said Chehboub. "Obviously this is a very high-class field and she hasn't been able to fight for the win. We had a bad draw and we then had to wait until it was too late for the gap to appear.

"She was very calm before and after the race and I think she's the best sprinting juvenile filly in Europe. She'll head to Cheveley Park at Newmarket and, despite the circumstances, with the way she flew home you've all been able to see she's a filly of great talent."

Of the Karl Burke-trained pair, Arabie helped cut out the running and ran honourably to be fourth, while Shareholder was last. He appeared never to settle in behind Whistlejacket and was a spent force before stamina for the extra furlong became a factor.

Read these next:

What did the Prix Morny tell us about the big two-year-old races to come? 

Arc hope Mqse De Sevigne eased for Longchamp despite racking up third Group 1 win on the trot in Prix Romanet 

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