Alpinista Captures Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

Alpinista  thrust herself firmly into the picture for major mile-and-a-half honors July 3 when settling the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) with a turn of foot even jockey Luke Morris admitted took him a little by surprise. 

Kirsten Rausing's homebred daughter of Frankel  came here off an eight-month break and with trainer Sir Mark Prescott warning she would be far from fully tuned up, but it mattered not as she ran down Baratti  and left high-quality rivals Hurricane Lane  and Mare Australis  well behind. 

Alpinista's stock rose throughout the autumn of 2021 as she rattled off a hat trick of German group 1s, form that received the ultimate compliment when her Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) victim Torquator Tasso  landed the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).

Europe's greatest middle-distance prize will be her main target Oct. 2, and Paddy Power cut her into 14-1 (from 33). 

The July 23 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) would also look a suitable target if Alpinista comes out of her Saint-Cloud run in good form, although undoubtedly Prescott and Rausing will want to let the dust settle a little before deciding on whether to turn her out relatively quickly for the Ascot showpiece.

Prescott's assistant William Butler said: "Her form in Germany was knocked until the Arc, and then everybody took notice. We've always been confident better ground would see a better filly.

"It was her first run of the year as we'd been very patient with her and were a bit worried coming into it. But she's a class filly. It's fantastic for Miss Rausing and all at Lanwades Stud."

ALPINISTA (Frankel x Alwilda) storms home to land the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud under @Luke_Morris88. That’s her fourth G1 win on the bounce and her sixth consecutive victory. Congratulations to her owner/breeder @Lanwades and all the team Heath House.#G1Winner pic.twitter.com/RqaHxuVfL0

— William Butler (@HeathHouseNkt) July 3, 2022

The Alpinista team undoubtedly was pleased to see Torquator Tasso bounce back to form at Hamburg on Saturday, and a possible rematch is possible if the team decides to head for Ascot, where Cazoo Derby (G1) winner Desert Crown  is likely to be in opposition.

"This year we have to go to the big stages with her," Butler said. "Let's hope this has been a successful stepping stone. 

"The King George could come too soon, but she's had an easy year so far. If we want to be taking in the big ones, that's the logical next group 1 over a mile and a half. But we will see. We'll give her a bit longer? We're working back from the Arc. It came at the wrong time in her program last year, so we decided it would be the Arc this year."

Morris had a slight coming together with Bubble Gift shortly after the start. The incident will cause him to incur a four-day ban, but after that he had as comfortable a time of it as he is likely to get in a group 1.

"She hadn't been hard-galloped and this was very much a prep for the autumn," Morris said. "She blossomed in the autumn last year and we felt she came here just right to have a run. I'd be very hopeful she could step forward." 

Asked whether Alpinista's decisive acceleration took him by surprise, Morris added: "I did a bit, because all her runs last year were on slow ground, in the Lancashire Oaks and then in Germany. She rode a little bit labored, but there looked to be plenty of pace on, so we rode her a bit more patiently. 

"I gave her a squeeze turning in and almost found myself arriving there a bit too soon. She showed a bright turn of foot, and hopefully all roads lead back to France."