Pearl answers Irish prayers

SEAN COUGHLAN does not leave much to chance and he relied on powerful forces to help his Ridgewood Pearl win the Breeders' Cup Mile for Ireland here yesterday.

Before the filly ran in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot in June, the owner visited Lourdes and this week he has employed a memento from that journey. Ridgewood Pearl's bucket has been topped up by a vial of water from the holy site.

Coughlan, who runs his horses in the papal colours of yellow and white, also visited St Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, New York, to offer his thoughts. He sent the jockey, Johnny Murtagh, out to battle with a religious medal he had collected from Knock woven into the rider's helmet. This was all serious preparation.

For all that, Ridgewood Pearl's fortunes looked to have run out in the early hours. She was found cast in her box by stable staff, and had to be helped to her feet. "These lads from Godolphin heard her kicking and screaming and had they not lifted her up who knows what might have happened," Coughlan said. Twelve hours later she did not need help in the race proper.

Murtagh's forearms must have been pulled throughout as Ridgewood Pearl immediately took a ferocious hold. As she was switched outside at the entrance to the straight, Fastness appeared to be going the better, but when it came down to raw courage there was to be just one winner.

"She is such a brave filly, she never lets us down," John Oxx, the winning trainer, said. "We have not talked about retirement but it might be unfair to turn round and ask her to do it again."

If this was Ridgewood Pearl's swansong it was at least conducted with some flourish. Coughlan rushed to congratulate her with the Irish flag in his hand.

Murtagh is at the other end of his career. At 25 he has finally banished the weight problems that bedevilled his apprentice days and is now a leading rider in both his native Ireland and Dubai, said: "This is the greatest moment of my career It feels so good to come back and prove she is the best in Europe."

The horse who had been billed as the best in Europe, Halling, performed as if he was running on a treadmill in the Classic, labouring drunkenly up the straight before trailing in last as America's hero, Cigar, stretched his unbeaten sequence to 12.

Halling's jockey, Walter Swinburn, reported: "He was travelling well within himself, then when the racing started he changed his legs and hung right with me. He was gone in two strides."

Europe fared better in the Turf, in which Freedom Cry again occupied the runner-up spot which had been his in the Arc. The Andre Fabre-trained horse was beaten by an animal the Frenchman used to handle, Northern Spur. The colt, now trained by Ron McAnally, is a different performer now that he is allowed to run on Lasix.

The British hopes in the Sprint, Lake Coniston, Hever Golf Rose, and Owington, failed to cope with the dirt and trailed in behind the shock winner, Desert Stormer.

The day's easiest winner was Inside Information, who came home 13 and a half lengths clear of her rivals in the Distaff.