Prescott reflects on Alpinista’s landmark Arc moment

‘I must say, I can’t be asked about my favourite Arc often enough!’

Few people in racing are as revered as Sir Mark Prescott, so when he enjoyed the crowning moment of his long career when Alpinista won the 2022 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, it was a very popular victory.

The grey mare, owned and bred by Kirsten Rausing, progressed through the ranks steadily before going on an unbroken spree of six Group One races, which culminated at a rain-sodden ParisLongchamp.

For a horse who had been kept to generally good ground throughout her career – despite winning three times in Germany – the last thing connections wanted to see in Paris that day was rain.

However, not only did it rain, it was torrential. But that was not Prescott’s first concern on the day.

“The first thing I remember of it was that our plane wouldn’t start, so we were diverted from Cambridge to Stansted so that put everybody on edge a little bit,” he said.

Luke Morris with Alpinista, trainer Sir Mark Prescott and owner Kirsten Rausing
Luke Morris with Alpinista, trainer Sir Mark Prescott and owner Kirsten Rausing (PA)

“When it landed, because it was late the customs and the police weren’t there to greet it, so we were held up there and it was one of the few times that I’ve seen Ms Rausing begin to lose patience!

“We were getting pretty late and she was all for going and to hell with the police, but it was then pointed out that if we were arrested that was fine, but we needed the jockey pretty badly – so she waited.

“We eventually got there and Ms Rausing was supposed to be going for lunch but couldn’t find where and in the meantime (Luke) Morris and I went off in rather nice suits to walk the course.

“Of course the mare didn’t want it heavy as she’d never run on heavy ground before and down the back straight we got caught in that deluge, so really by the time we got in the paddock all thoughts of the horse winning, despite being favourite, had left us.”

Having gone through all that prior to the biggest race of his career with the favourite in Europe’s showpiece race, Prescott had near enough given up on any chance of winning.

He continued: “In a way it took the pressure off, we’d had such a terrible day there was no way we thought she could win. We were all pretty resigned but then she went and won – which was marvellous!

“William (Butler, assistant) said trying to get me out of Longchamp was like trying to get a rock star out of a concert as everyone was so kind – Jean-Claude Rouget kissed me and everyone wanted to shake my hand.

“The thing I remember most was going back in the taxi, hardly believing it had happened, Ms Rausing turned to me and absolutely straight faced said ‘do you know, I always thought she’d win it’.

“I then asked Luke how it felt and he said ‘I watched 28 previous Arcs, 14 on Friday and 14 on Saturday and when I turned for home, I thought I was going better than any of those 28 winners’ and that was even on that ground.”

Rausing is a renowned owner-breeder and Alpinista is a product of a long pedigree line. Her granddam Albanova was trained by Prescott to win the same three Group Ones in Germany Alpinista would go on to win, and she is a full-sister to Alborada, Prescott’s dual Champion Stakes heroine.

“It wasn’t a total surprise she turned out to be very good because as a two-year-old she won first time out over seven furlongs at Epsom. Given I’d trained her mother, who won over two and a quarter miles, to have that speed, we obviously thought she was nice,” said Prescott.

“To answer when did I think she might win the Arc, I suppose it was when she won those three Group Ones in Germany (2021), we thought the following year she’d have a chance in the Arc.

“My confidence was dented though when the author Michael Tanner sent me a card saying ‘when did the last five-year-old mare win the Arc?’ which was all it said in the card. The answer was Corrida in 1939.”

Prescott had decided to miss the 2021 Arc but then watched Torquator Tasso, behind Alpinista at Hoppegarten, spring an almighty surprise.

Luke Morris did his research ahead of the race
Luke Morris did his research ahead of the race (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I don’t think we ever thought we should have run the year before she won it as nobody thought Torquator Tasso would win, apart from his lovely connections and we had beaten him in Germany,” said Prescott.

“Everybody thought it was a bit of a fluke, but he went on to prove it was far from that. What it did do was make us think maybe we did have a squeak the following year. We didn’t have any regrets as he was such an unexpected winner.

“German form can be looked down upon, so maybe she didn’t get the recognition she deserved after those three Group One wins. It wasn’t until she won in France (Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud) she started getting a bit more traction. Interestingly I trained her grandmother (Albanova) to win the same three German races which is quite extraordinary.

“I must say, I can’t be asked about my favourite Arc often enough, though!”

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