'I'm enormously proud - he's danced every dance all year' - Ralph Beckett thrilled with wonderful Westover

There were no excuses, no hard-luck story and no reason to feel hard done by, yet it was difficult not to feel a smidgen of sympathy for the Westover camp.

Westover has been wonderful all season but, alas, Ace Impact was awesome in the Arc, so the runner-up in the Sheema Classic, Coronation Cup and King George is now the Arc runner-up as well. There is no shame in that. He was upstaged by an unbeaten superstar, but he was best of the rest.

And spare a thought for his trainer, too. Ralph Beckett is enjoying his best campaign by far numerically, soaring into three figures for only the third time in his career, but he has now had nine seconds in Group 1s, with Kinross adding to the heartache in the Prix de la Foret later on the Longchamp card.

Westover is responsible for four of those, while Remarquee was runner-up in the Coronation and Falmouth Stakes, Bluestocking was somehow denied by Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks and Task Force took second in the Middle Park at Newmarket on Saturday.

It has been a brilliant season for Beckett, and it wasn't too far away from being an incredible one. He has been belting a fair few crossbars.

Westover did hit the back of the net in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Beckett's sole Group 1 success this season, and the trainer said his overriding emotion after the Arc was one of pride.

Westover: could head to Santa Anita next for the Breeders' Cup TurfCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Beckett said: "I'm enormously proud. He has danced every dance all year and it takes a special horse to do that. He's an extraordinarily tough individual and he just found one too good."

The one he found too good this time was an extraordinary one. Ace Impact is a tremendous three-year-old and he had too many gears for Westover, who once again left everything he had out on the track and held off Onesto for second.

Reflecting on the race, Beckett added: "He [Rob Hornby, jockey] had to shove him out to get a position and then Jim [Crowley, on Hukum] and the leaders dictated the pace they wanted. I'm just very proud of him and one day he'll hopefully win one of these."

Nobody could begrudge Westover another big pot, that's for sure, and that could be at Santa Anita next month as Beckett has his eye on the Breeders' Cup Turf. Indeed, he is set to stay in training next season, too.

He said: "I think it's likely he'll stay in training next year. He has kind of grown up now. I know he got warm beforehand, but not for long. We've ditched the red hood now as well. Every time he goes to the track he's getting better. In the stables he looked like one of Henry de Bromhead's jumpers. He was asleep walking around.

"Rob's comment was that he is thriving and getting better and better with every start. I would be quite keen to go for the Breeders' Cup Turf. We saw he enjoyed travelling in Dubai and it's a gig that would fit in well if he's in the right shape."

Read these next:

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2023 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe full result: where your horse finished for the Longchamp showpiece including each-way places

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