One of the celebrated French sculptor Auguste Rodin’s best known works is a statue called The Thinker, a bronze depicting the Italian poet Dante contemplating the mysteries of heaven and hell and the fate of mankind.
The racehorse August Rodin, named for the nineteenth century artist is certainly a performer of the highest class, like his eponymous forbear.
But like the human Rodin’s masterwork, his career arc would leave plenty of his supporters feeling they had been taken to heaven and then plunged them into the depths of despair, leaving them to reflect for themselves the mysteries of punting and the vagaries of success.
Auguste Rodin the galloper might have been better named The Enigma, such have been the highs and lows of his on track career: brilliant performances winning high quality classic races in the UK, Ireland and America have been punctuated by unfathomable blow outs, efforts in which he either sank without trace or was beaten when expected to win.
As a son of the Japanese star Deep Impact he is a very important horse for the mightly Coolmore operation as he represents a break with the all conquering Galileo sireline and provides Coolmore with a bloodline that can be utilised with a series of different partners.
Out of the brilliant racemare Rhodedondron (a group one winner at two, three and four) Auguste Rodin is bred in the purple and looks to enhance his stallion prospects still further in the early hours of Sunday morning when he runs in what used to be the mid summer championship of European middle distance flat racing, Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2400 metres.
The Aidan O’Brien trained colt will be partnered, as usual, by Ryan Moore and following a win in the Prince of Wales’ Stakes at Royal Ascot in June he has been installed as a short priced favourite to add further lustre to his name.
But with a galloper like him it is always tempting to look for something at odds who might be able to capitalise should he put in one of his inexplicably poor efforts.
Last time he had to knuckle down to win that Royal meeting feature by less than a length from the French trained outsider Zarakem, albeit over the less than optimal trip of 2000 metres. Before that he had gone off as a short priced favourite at The Curragh only to be trounced in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup by White Birch.
That followed a horror show in Dubai when, once more as a short priced favourite, he was beaten out of sight by Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance in the Sheema Classic.
That was probably the nadir (or at least equal lowpoint) of his career, especially when contrasted by his previous start in America, where he had powered home to win the Breeders Cup Turf over what appears to be his optimum trip of 2400 metres, the distance of the King George.
That is a pattern that was even more evident in his three year old career. Made favourite for the 2000 Guineas on his seasonal reappearance as a three year old he was beaten 22 lengths by Chaldean in the 1600 metre classic.
O’Brien then got him back to Ballydoyle, sorted him out and he returned to triumph in the 2400 metre Epsom Derby, vindicating the faith the Coolmore team have always had in him.
When he won the Irish Derby next start it looked like he was gaining the sort of consistency expected of a champion, but he reverted to type in last year’s King George. August Rodin ran no sort of race, finishing last of 10 beaten over 100 lengths by Hukum, leaving those who took the 9/4 ($3.25) odds reeling.
Once again, however, he confounded his critics by bouncing back to win the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, leaving form analysts and punters scratching their heads even though those who kept the faith were rewarded by his SP of 11/4 ($3.75).
So which Auguste might turn up at Ascot – Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde.
Once more he is a short priced favourite and if he is in the mood he will probably win. But if not, is there something at odds that might give you a run for your money?
Rebel Romance represents the Godolphin/Charlie Appleby/William Buick team and he bids to secure a maiden UK Group 1 win following success at the highest levels in Hong Kong, the USA, Dubai and Germany.
Ideally suited by the trip, the six year old son of Dubawi looks the main danger although he too is being kept safe in the market.
Bluestocking is the third choice in the betting, a Group 1 winning mare who took the Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh over 2100 metres last time. Equally effective over this distance, at four she is probably still on the upgrade and is in receipt of all the weight allowances. Nevertheless she would have to improve again to win here.
Luxembourg, who has been a flag bearer for the Coolmore stable in recent seasons, will undoubtedly run an honest race but it is hard to see him beating the market principals.
Of greater interest, at least from a future form perspective, is the only three year old in the contest, Sunway.
Trained by UK based Frenchman David Menuisier, any prospects he has of beating this high class field lie in his most recent outing, a fast finishing second in the Irish Derby behind Auguste Rodin’s younger stablemate Las Vegas.
Prior to that he had been mid division in the French Derby (2100 metres) behind Look De Vega, so it appears that the step up to 2400 metres at The Curragh might have suited him more given the way he was making ground at the end.
He has a lot to find on ratings, but he will be in recept of some five kilos from Auguste Rodin and Rebel Romance and if you believe that this year’s three year old crop (headed by another Coolmore inmate in City of Troy) could be on a par with last year’s (represented by August Rodin), then he might be each way value.
Of interest to Australian punters will be the presence of William Haggas’s Dubai Honour, a dual Group 1 winner at Randwick and Rosehill in 2023, although he is one of the outsiders for this contest despite achieving a win – albeit in a relatively weak edition – of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud last time out.