Six-time Group 1 winner and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Alpinista (GB) heroine (GB)Frankel {GB}) has abandoned the race after a “slight defeat” and will not compete for the Japan Cup at the end of the month.
The five-year-old, raised and owned by Kirsten Rausing and coached by Sir Mark Prescott, has recorded her top six wins in consecutive games in Germany, England and France over the previous two seasons, lifted her undefeated streak to eight races in 16 months. In total, she competed 15 times for ten wins and finished in second place twice, earning prize money of more than £3.3 million.
After her emotional success at ParisLongchamp in early October, Alpinista continued training at Prescott’s Heath House Stables in Newmarket with a possible Tokyo swan in the cards, but a decision was made this morning. Thursday after she suffered a minor injury.
Rausing, who was honored with the Cartier/Daily Telepgraph Merit Award at the Cartier Awards in London on Wednesday night, said of her hybrid, “She was special. She is extremely special to me and to anyone who has been around her. I feel guilty for pushing her away [rider/groom] Annabel Willis but, as I always told Annabel, she would have only three miles to go to see her at any moment.
“It would be great to have her at home. She and her contemporary Albaflora (GB), who have twice been placed in Group 1, will take pride in their place here in Lanwades. They are two beauty queens and we will parade them at the horse show during the December Sale.
“People ask me if she is my horse for life, and in many ways she is, but so is her grandmother Alborada (GB), and Petoski (GB) before her. so is he. So maybe every 25 or 30 years they show up, if you’re lucky.”
Alpinista is the fourth generation descendant of the famous Lanwades matriarch Alruccaba (Ire) (Crystal Palace {Fr}), who was purchased at the age of three by Kirsten Rausing and Sonia Rogers from breeder Aga Khan. However, the identity of the stallion for the first mating next year is yet to be confirmed Rausing suggested before that she can visit the elected champion, Dubawi (Ire), who has fees have been announced yesterday it was £350,000.
Reflecting on her Cartier Prize, awarded annually to someone deemed to have “do the most for racing and/or breeding in Europe during his lifetime or within the last 12 months”, Rausing added, “I was completely taken aback by the whole thing. I really want to watch the video again because you’re so overwhelmed you can’t really understand it all.
“It was an absolutely phenomenal year. It all comes together but as far as I know it’s all due to my wonderful home team at three studs – Lanwades, St Simon and Staffordstown – and their centuries-old team of horses put together. A lot of my people have been with me for 25 years or more, so I’m very lucky, and of course we also have the young Mr. Oxx involved.”
This year, Lanwades Stud was represented by four Group 1 winners, Alpinista was joined by St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Australian-trained duo of Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz }) and Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).
