New Approach vs Duke Of Marmalade

By Martin Kelly, PA Sport
A nap hand of Group One wins were claimed by the magnificent Duke Of Marmalade as he put Derby hero New Approach to the sword in the Juddmonte International at Newmarket.
The Irish raiders had been scheduled to clash at York earlier in the week, and the former even touched down in Britain before the first day of the Ebor meeting fell victim to the weather.
Aidan O'Brien then shipped the four-year-old back to County Tipperary before sending him across the water again in a bid to maintain his unbeaten record for 2008, and provide the Ballydoyle contingent with their 18th Group One of the season.
The King George winner was dropping back to a mile and a quarter under Johnny Murtagh, and there was no doubt of the regard in which he is held after his three-quarter-length success over the luckless Phoenix Tower.
"He is so special that you wonder if he is flesh and blood. If horses were made out of concrete and stone he would be made out of something harder," gushed O'Brien.
His stablemate Red Rock Canyon towed the field through the early stages as Duke Of Marmalade sat handy, with New Approach pulling hard on his return from injury.
Jim Bolger's Classic winner was never in a position to challenge once the race began in earnest and had to settle for third.
O'Brien continued: "He is a great horse with speed, and is getting pacier if you look at the way he travels through his races.
"He had a very messy week as he came to England, spent a couple of hours here and then flew back.
"He travelled from 5am Tuesday morning and didn't get back to Ballydoyle until about 3.30pm. There was a lot of travelling there and we were afraid to look for a couple of days to see how much weight he had lost.
"I was nervous as I wasn't sure what would happen, but it is a credit to those people who made it happen today and it just shows what can happen when people get together.
"He is just one of those very special horses, and you can see that yourself.
"He will never win too far, which is probably to his advantage.
"If all is well with him the plan will be to go Leopardstown with him in two weeks for the Irish Champion Stakes (September 6)."
Murtagh added: "I had to wait an extra couple of days for it but it turned out to be a great race.
"He is so solid, so genuine and always turns up the same.
"His work is good, his temperament is good and when he turns up at the races you can guarantee he is going to put up a performance like that.
"I got a lovely run up the inside and got there sooner than I wanted. But I knew that when I asked for maximum effort that he would pull it out for me up the hill."
The Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes on September 6 is also set to feature New Approach, who was a further two and a half lengths adrift of the runner-up.
Bolger said: "He's beaten but definitely not battered. He ran a good race and is obviously on the way back.
"We'll regroup and I'm sure you'll see a different horse in two weeks' time, I'm not using the ground as an excuse.
"It will be Leopardstown next for the Irish Champion Stakes."
William Hill trimmed Duke Of Marmalade into 4-5 from even money for the rematch, while New Approach is out to 100-30.
Phoenix Tower came close to providing Henry Cecil with a Group One victory in his own back yard, and he said: "It's four Group Ones he has nearly won now and the other horse just got the measure of him up the hill.
"He's done everything right, they are clear of the rest and I'm sure his day will come."
 
I just wish someone would ask is the horse a possible for the Classic at all? If Soldier Of Fortune runs well in the Arc he could be their Turf horse...then let Henry and DOM go at it in the Classic.
 
Is 'pony-ing' New Approach to the start working?

Would the horse lose some of that very early keenness if he went to the post in the normal manner?

Has he always been accompanied to the start?
 
Really disappointed & really admiring

Yes, DOM is the best horse around in the UK & Ireland: congratulations to the Coolmore team yet again, there's no doubt their training operation is simply first class - a bit like Eclipse ... the rest nowhere.
The Bolger team-and-horse remains a promise and one wonders how sound a promise at that.

You can temper that by remembering you probably have oodles of knowledge about racing & the author doesn't.


I so wanted New Approach to come good ..... :o ... will he ever? Bit late now, though.

Regards
 
LUKE said:
I hope Bolger gives Leopardstown a miss.New Approach could be a serious player for the Arc.
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Seconded. I backed him today but I was smiling at the end because that was an excellent pipe opener for the Arc. He ran to a similar level there that Bago did when he was placed in the International. Impressed with the winner because he wasn`t at his best today but still won.
 
mrussell said:



I so wanted New Approach to come good ..... :o ... will he ever? Bit late now, though.

Regards
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Hang on, he won the Derby didn`t he? Racing at the top level is all about having your conditions and he didn`t today. 12f on easy ground will see him to his best, roll on Paris.
 
Euronymous said:
Seconded. I backed him today but I was smiling at the end because that was an excellent pipe opener for the Arc. He ran to a similar level there that Bago did when he was placed in the International. Impressed with the winner because he wasn`t at his best today but still won.
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another convert to NA being best suited to 12f

I knew you would come round to my way of thinking eventually;)
 
DOM , 124 today, no better than that, he has posted 130 and 131 this year, I dont think he will hit that mark again this season.


About NA
Bolger is not going to miss the Irish Champion.
About the Arc, I dont think he is good enough to win an Arc and less if he is not settled.


Once Montmartre is out, the race is open, but my feeling is that Zarkava and SOF are the most likely winner, with preference for the later, especially if the ground is soft.
 
sunybay said:
DOM , 124 today, no better than that, he has posted 130 and 131 this year, I dont think he will hit that mark again this season.


About NA
Bolger is not going to miss the Irish Champion.
About the Arc, I dont think he is good enough to win an Arc and less if he is not settled.


Once Montmartre is out, the race is open, but my feeling is that Zarkava and SOF are the most likely winner, with preference for the later, especially if the ground is soft.
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Agreed on the Duke. His form has dipped since the Prince of Wales, he`s nearly as good as Dylan Thomas but won`t win an Arc.
New Approach will need to settle in the race to have a chance. That does concern me.
The Arc market is fascinating at the moment. I see DoM is second favourite now. I`m against the French filly and i`ve added Soldier of Fortune to my portfolio.
 
I do not think Duke Of Marmalade will go for the Arc. They will probably run Soldier Of Fortune and Frozen Fire....only if the ground came up very firm might they run him in it.

He will run in the Irish Champion, have a break before the Breeders Cup and then head to Japan/Hong Kong.

I think this is a super horse, granted he has not (quite) hit the levels yet of Dylan Thomas but my gut says he is a better, less complicated horse than DT or his other stablemates down the years. That is why I hope he runs in the Classic, as its really only there he will find a horse with a decent enough rating to give him a full honest race.
 
Duke was ridden like a horse who has one eye on a bigger prize, Rock of Gib's record. He was always just doing enough.No disrespect to phoenix who ran great but he never could have beaten him. Also I think it's crazy to blame Manning for NA's bad Behaviour. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to the lead and try and stay there in the Champion. People seeme to be seeing what they want,I thought the pacemaker was very careful getting out of the way today, almost apologetic.
 
It might have been an 11th hour defection based on the early times run on Arc day, but Dylan meant I've won this 4 years in a row now. This year though :confused: It's been a lucky race and one won through on error on coupled horses before now, but this year I really don't know where to turn. I was happy with Montmarre (but never backed). I hold enough ratings for SoF to suggest he's good enough, but haven't as yet found a French 3yo (other than the filly) whose likely to turn up and be up to it. If a filly is going to win it again, (and they have a half decent record) this year looks ripe for it, even if the price doesn't. I'm probably leaning towards SoF though
 
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Interesting to hear Murtagh say he hit the front too soon. I thought he would have kicked on sooner than he did, especially after New Approach pulling so hard early on. Then again, he doesn't do much in front and he certainly seems to be travelling far better in his races this year.

I won't touch New Approach with a barge pole until he proves he can settle. I have a feeling his temperment is actually becoming more of an issue.
 
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