Continuous ran out a dominant winner of the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.
He was trainer Aidan O'Brien's seventh victory in the final Classic and few have been as straightforward, the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur hero making good headway to hit the front passing the two furlong marker.
In pursuit were Arrest and Frankie Dettori on his final Classic ride and Desert Hero, carrying the colours of The King and Queen who thrilled racegoers by attending the meeting.
But neither ever looked like completing their own fairytale, the winner hitting the line hard and two-and-three-quarter lengths clear of the chasing pack under Ryan Moore, landing a 20/1 winner for Matt Brocklebank's Antepost Value Bet column.
Arc next for winner?
Thoughts for Continuous soon turned to Paris on the first Sunday in October, O’Brien saying: “It’s very special. A lot of people do a lot of work with this horse very day. The Arc is a possibility, the lads will decide those things like they always do. They’ll speak to Ryan but he has a lot of class this horse, he does stay and does handle soft ground.
“There’s every chance he could. He’s a hardy horse. He’s had a strong, hard programme early so he might back up in two weeks. The lads will decide that but I’d say there’s definitely a chance.”
He's 10/1 with Betfair and Paddy Power to win the ParisLongchamp showpiece.
Moore was clearly impressed, telling ITV Racing: “He’s a real smart horse. He cantered around to be honest with you. I thought I’d go back to the inside, the run came and I had to go and he’s a very genuine horse. He won a Group race on bad ground as a two-year-old and has come back and improved with every run.
“He’s by Heart’s Cry who was a top stallion in Japan, I think he was the only horse to beat Deep Impact in Japan, so this colt is very rare and he’s getting better. He has a great will to win, he travels and has a lot of guts.”
Continuous was Moore's first ride in the Leger since Kew Gardens in 2018 because of the usual clash with Irish Champions Weekend.
“It’s a shame the way the scheduling has been, it would be great if they could keep them apart in the future. Unfortunately I haven’t been here on this day as often as I’d like. It’s a Classic, the last one of the year and it’s great to win it," he added.
No excuses from Dettori
Dettori had no hard-luck stories to offer for Arrest but expects the runner-up to make his mark in this company next season - without him in the saddle.
“I wanted to curse Ryan but he’s such a great mate of mine I couldn’t so I congratulated him instead," he said. "His was the best horse on the day. I got a super run and got excited a touch but when I saw Ryan going better than me I knew if I got second that would be good.
“It’s been a good journey, it wasn’t to be, but I came close and I loved it. He was a bit gassy but that’s the way he is. He’s getting better and he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with next year over a mile-and-a-half - but by then he won’t be my problem!”
Marquand proud of Desert Hero run
Tom Marquand was proud of the run of Desert Hero in third adding: “He’s run huge. The whole way round the trip was always going to be the worry. He stayed well over a mile-and-a-half but they never quite got him into his comfort zone, they were always going half-a-stride slower than I wanted them to be.
“He’s run great but it does leave the question over whether the trip is for him or not. He has a much better cruising speed at a mile-and-a-half but it was fantastic to have The King and Queen here to enjoy it with us.”
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