Andre Fabre delighted by Birr Castle’s pacemaking turn

Andre Fabre felt the front-running performance of Birr Castle “added some spice” to proceedings in the Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday.

The master French trainer provided the five-year-old as a pacemaker for favourite and eventual winner Ombudsman, trained by John and Thady Gosden but in the same Godolphin ownership.

Ridden by Robert Havlin, Birr Castle had them all on the stretch and at one stage held a huge advantage.

Hot on the heels of 150-1 chance Qirat winning the Sussex Stakes, another huge shock briefly looked on the cards before he began to tire but to his credit he held on for third place, only beaten by the front two in the betting.

“He certainly added a bit of spice to the race! Nobody was expecting such a scenario,” said Fabre.

“He’s not a bad horse. He had a quiet season last year, but he was affected by a virus. He has a good rating, he’s Group-placed.

“It looked like he was 20 lengths clear and he was still a long way in front with two furlongs to run when Robert Havlin went into the middle of the track to let the others through, but they weren’t there.

“If he hadn’t done that he may have been second, but the winner was very impressive. He looks a very nice horse, he quickened so well from what was a slow pace for the rest.”

He went on: “It was just like what happened at Goodwood really, when the pacemaker won the Sussex Stakes. I was talking to John before the race and I said I wouldn’t mind the same result and we nearly got it.

“Everybody was happy in the end – John, myself and Godolphin. It’s just a shame for such a big race it did not attract more runners, that leads to pacemakers. With more runners you wouldn’t need them.

“A good pacemaker is one who if you let him go he is good enough to win it, it happened at Goodwood and nearly happened at York.”