RACING: Refuse To Bend lived up to his name in the Aga Khan Stud Stakes, inflicting a substantial leak in the $6.4 million balloon of Van Nistelrooy's reputation in the process.
It completed a magnificent Group One weekend for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen, who had won the Jefferson Smurfit St Leger on Saturday with Vinnie Roe.
"Ever so slightly stiff but perfectly sound," was Weld's verdict on the Melbourne Cup favourite yesterday. But while Vinnie Roe is the finished article, Refuse To Bend screamed classic potential on just his second ever start.
Smullen took the slowly run race by the scruff of the neck at half way and put it up to the much -vaunted Van Nistelrooy. It was a challenge the most expensive yearling of 2001 couldn't cope with.
Refuse To Bend beat the favourite off by three parts of a length with the Godolphin colt Dublin just a neck back in third.
"Proper horses win Group One's and this is a proper horse. There's nothing flash about him but he is tough and solid and he said to the others, 'come and get me if you can'.
"We will train him for the English Guineas and hopefully we have a Derby horse too," said Weld.
The trainer completed the Leger-National double in 1994 with Vintage Crop and Definite Article but it was a first success in Ireland's top two-year-old race for Smullen.
"He quickened up like a good one. That impressed me, and he didn't flinch.
"He was straight as a gun-barrel to the line," he said.
"He would have preferred a stronger pace but they quickened well and it rode a good race," reported Dublin's rider Frankie Dettori, but Aidan O'Brien was left ruing the cough that is only slowly leaving his yard.
"Things are a bit iffy because we are minding them more than training them. It's hard to get after them. We should be able to do more in a week or two but Van Nistelrooy seems fine after the race," he said.
That didn't stop the Storm Cat colt being put all the way out to 20 to 1 in some ante-post books for the 2,000 Guineas while Refuse To Bend is as low as 14 to 1 second favourite for the same race. Godolphin's Almushahar is a general 10 to 1 Guineas favourite.
Weld and Smullen also picked up the Group three Blandford Stakes with the favourite Irresistible Jewel, who overcame the English raider Chorist in the dying strides.
"The Prix de l'Opera is an option but she loves fast ground and she will probably be raced overseas for the rest of the season," said Weld, who brought his total for the two days to five winners when Faadhil beat the well-touted Arawan in the last.
Richard Hannon completed a Listed double courtesy of Umistim in the Solonaway Stakes and Hurricane Alan, who added to his Goffs Challenge win in June with an all the way victory in the Blenheim Stakes.
No overseas target will be more important to the Weld-Smullen team than the Melbourne Cup, for which Vinnie Roe remains a 5 to 1 favourite with Cashmans.
"He was perfectly sound afterwards and with a horse like Vinnie Roe, you always have to have a go. All being well, it's Melbourne next," said Weld yesterday.
In Saturday's Leger, Vinnie Roe overcame Pugin by a length and a half with the three-year-old Ballingarry back in third.
A second Leger emulated Vintage Crop in 1993-94 and at 6 p.m. last evening, Vinnie Roe entered quarantine to try and make further progress in Vintage Crop's footsteps.
"It's a tough assignment but he has the same courage as Vintage Crop. He has the same will to win, a huge engine and the steel that is required for such a competitive race," Weld said.
The Abbaye hopeful Agnetha was an unlucky loser in the Group three Boland Stakes, being denied a run at a crucial stage as Polar Way maintained his unbeaten record with a clear run on the outside.
The Weld-trained Gold Chaser also looked unlucky in the mile handicap behind Sheer Tenby but they were blips on a weekend that belonged to the Curragh trainer.
