It was a fourth success on Saturday’s Longchamp card for trainer Aidan O’Brien as Grateful took a surprise win in the 1m6f Group 1 Prix de Royallieu.
Daughter of Breeders' Cup heroine Tepin, Grateful kicked off her three-year-old campaign with a win in a 1m4f Curragh maiden before securing a valuable Group 3 success in the 1m6f Stanerra Stakes on her first try over a stamina test. She was never involved when finishing well-beaten down the field in the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood behind Terms Of Endearment, and subsequently started a 25/1 shot behind re-opposing rivals at Longchamp, despite placing third in the Park Stakes at Doncaster in the interim.
Ridden by French ace Christophe Soumillon (with first jockey Ryan Moore engaged on stablemate Port Fairy), Grateful was settled in the middle of the pack in early stages, stalking Goodwood conqueror Terms Of Endearment. As the field left the far side of the course, Soumillon switched the filly towards the outside and she remained behind coming into the final straight. With the main pack spreading across the track, Grateful was forced to come wide to give her run, powering home in the final furlong to land a three-quarter length success. River Of Stars finished second with Mistral Star third.
In an interview with Sky Sports Racing, Soumillon said: "It's amazing when you have the chance to ride for the best trainer. He already won three races on the day, he was really confident before the race. The filly felt great going down to the start. Through the race I was travelling so well. Aidan told me don't come too early with her, try to be one of the last to quicken.
"I was between two choices coming into the home straight, because I was able to come out. But unfortunately when Cristian [Demuro] came on my outside I didn't want to commit early because the pace was quite good. Luckily, it was a good decision but 100 yards when I entered the straight I was a bit blocked, but when she changed her legs again, I found daylight and she really quickened so well."
With multiple options on Champions Day, Paddy Power adjusted Grateful from 33/1 to 16/1 for the Fillies & Mares Stakes and halved the filly from 66/1 to 33/1 for the Long Distance Cup.
