Tom Marquand dominates in Britain and France and heads our weekly awards
The Racing Post's awards honour the best (and sometimes worst) performances and raise talking points from the last seven days of racing. This week's winners are . . .
Performance of the week
It’s to Longchamp we head for this week’s standout performance, where Onesto made his Grand Prix de Paris rivals look distinctly ordinary with a convincing victory on Thursday.
Simca Mille made it a test from the front, but Stephane Pasquier was much better positioned than when an unlucky fifth in the Prix du Jockey Club and he confidently swept to the front to provide trainer Fabrice Chappet with his first Group 1 win for four years.
Onesto easily reversed the form with French Derby runner-up El Bodegon, and should give the home team another strong Arc contender alongside Vadeni.
Jockey of the week
William Buick’s magnificent afternoon at Newmarket on Saturday was rightly lauded (he already looks uncatchable in the jockeys’ title race, barring injury), but for sheer variety the award goes to Tom Marquand, who complemented wins at Windsor, Chelmsford and Newbury with a double Group 2 triumph in France.
Having partnered Grocer Jack to Listed success at Newbury on Saturday afternoon, Marquand hot-footed it across the Channel in time to ride the smart My Prospero at Chantilly — a novel way around the British rule preventing jockeys from riding at two meetings the same day.
My Prospero dug in and kept on really well – almost too well – on his first attempt at a mile and a quarter and followed his jockey’s other successful French foray, when he again put on a front-running exhibition aboard Quickthorn in the Group 2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil.
Juvenile of the week
A strong week for Aidan O’Brien and his juveniles saw Hans Andersen and Little Big Bear breeze to victory at the Curragh on Saturday, but it was Blackbeard who created the biggest impression when storming away from stablemate The Antarctic in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin on Sunday.
After opening his career with three straight wins, Blackbeard was a beaten fourth when favourite for the Coventry at Royal Ascot, and the No Nay Never colt then suffered another defeat nine days later at the Curragh.
He bounced back spectacularly at Chantilly though, where he was soon sent to the front by Ioritz Mendizabal. The pair never looked in any trouble and Blackbeard exhibited a striking turn of foot to kick clear in the final furlong. Group 1 company surely beckons.
Achievement of the week
Almost 19 years after riding his first winner – at Exeter in December 2003 – Daryl Jacob’s success on Redwood Queen at Cartmel gave him the rare distinction of having ridden a winner at every jumps racecourse in Britain.
A win at Catterick in January last year saw Jacob left with just one active track to tick off and Saturday's long trip north to Cumbria would have felt a whole lot shorter on the way back as he completed the set. A fitting achievement for one of jump racing's best over the last two decades.
Story of the week
In a week where Emily Upjohn's travel woes robbed the Irish Oaks of its headline star and there were no Group 1s in Britain, the race which undoubtedly created most headlines was one that wasn't even run, as trainers snubbed the 1m2f fillies' novice due to close Newbury's Super Sprint card on Saturday in a protest over prize-money.
The race, which Newbury increased in value to £6,500 from an original £5,300, was deemed too poor and frustrated trainers clearly felt enough was enough, with none of the 13 entries declared. It remains to be seen whether their stand will result in meaningful change but, given the constant complaints raised over prize-money levels in Britain, this may not be the last time we see such action taken.
Read more from The Last Word . . .
Catch our in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Classic-winning jockey George Baker, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and much more, it is not to be missed.
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