Nothing else for it, Prescott will be on his travels in October

‘I just don’t go abroad if I can possibly help it!’

Sir Mark Prescott might reluctantly have to pack his suitcase for a weekend in Paris in the autumn after Alpinista proved herself a serious contender for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a popular success at York.

Having held a training licence since 1970, it is fair to say the sharp-witted master of Heath House has seen everything this great game has to offer over the years, both good and bad.

Prescott has enjoyed multiple top-level victories at home and abroad during his distinguished training career, but prefers when possible to keep himself on British soil.

“It’s not superstition, I just don’t go abroad if I can possibly help it!” said Prescott.

“I’m reminded of George Todd. I used to ride a few for him and when he had Sodium, who was the best stayer in Britain, they asked him if he’d run him in the Arc and he said ‘No, I went to France for a fortnight once and I didn’t enjoy it!’.”

Unlike her trainer, Alpinista has thoroughly enjoyed her foreign jaunts – winning three Group Ones in Germany last season and making a successful reappearance in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last month.

The daughter of Frankel was the 7-4 favourite to bag a first British Group One in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks – and after tracking the early speed under Luke Morris, she displayed bucket loads of grit to go with her undoubted talent to see off the sustained challenge of Tuesday by a length.

“Her great gift is that she’s straightforward. I think it’s more that than innate ability that’s behind her improvement,” said Prescott.

“She goes on more or less any ground and you can hold her up or make the running. It’s like people – if they’re straightforward it’s amazing what you can do.

“I think she’ll go straight to the Arc and if something went wrong there, there has been just a mention of the Japan Cup. She’d like the fast ground out there.”

Alpinista could justifiably have gone for the Arc last year following her German exploits – and her connections could be forgiven for wondering what might have been given Torquator Tasso, whom she had beaten at Hoppegarten in August, ran out a shock winner of Europe’s premier middle-distance prize.

Prescott said: “That win opened everybody else’s eyes – they were telling me we should be running the Arc. Everybody else was alert to it and they made sure I didn’t miss the connection!

“He was unlucky when we beat him. Our jockey Luke Morris didn’t give him much room and got three days for his troubles, so I think we were possibly a little bit fortunate that day.”

Alpinista hails from a family Prescott knows inside out, with Albanova also a multiple Group One winner in Germany and Alborada landing back-to-back successes in the Champion Stakes.

Alpinista gets the better of Tuesday on the Knavesmire
Alpinista gets the better of Tuesday on the Knavesmire (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I’ve had those three very good ones from Miss Rausing over this distance who were all related – Albanova, Alborada and Alpinista – and there’s really not much between them,” said the trainer.

“How lucky can you be to have three fillies like that? They’ve been marvellous.”

And so for Alpinista all roads lead to ParisLongchamp, with the gorgeous grey a best-priced 8-1 – Baaeed aside the shortest-priced British contender – to taste glory on the biggest of stages.

When asked how he felt her form stacked up to her potential Arc opponents, Prescott said with a smile: “She’s just good enough to go close, wouldn’t you say? You know it’s there and you’ve got a chance, therefore you must go.

“I just wouldn’t want the ground very, very soft, but it’s been so dry for so long I’m expecting a swimming race!

“Five Group Ones in a row is a great achievement and she’s got the full house now. Miss Rausing quite rightly said she needed to win Group One in England and it’s a marvellous day – any trainer who is not moved by something like this is a cold soul!”

Kirsten Rausing at York
Kirsten Rausing at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Stood similarly proud in the York winner’s enclosure was owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing, who was remarkably seeing Alpinista in competitive strides for the first time.

She said: “Not only have I never been there for any of her previous Group One wins, I’ve never been present at any of her races, from when she won as a two-year-old on her debut at Epsom through to today.

“We obviously had problems during the height of the pandemic and I tend to have a bit of work to do, so it’s difficult to get away midweek.

“Then it harped back to neither myself or Sir Mark going to Germany 20 years ago when this filly’s granddam (Albanova) won her three Group Ones. She did it without us each time so we thought we should maybe try the same and it worked.

“I don’t know about superstition, but it’s great to be here to see her – isn’t she the most beautiful thing you ever saw?”

Reluctant he might be, but Prescott will surely now be eyeing up a suitable hotel somewhere near the Champs-Elysees for the first weekend in October.

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