Once again displaying a steely determination, Archbishop rallied from a ground-saving trip near the early pace to just miss catching Group 1 winner Master of Hounds in the Topkapi Trophy (G2) at Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 2.
The race is one of the richest mile events in Europe, with a purse of €459,000 (approximately $577,250), and Archbishop earned about $135,875 for his efforts, boosting his career bankroll over $200,000.
The Topkapi Trophy was by far the sternest test of Archbishop’s six-race career and he demonstrated he could be ready for even bigger goals. By Arch, the three-year-old colt out of our Carson City mare Avaricity faced ten rivals in a field that included Group 2 winner Red Duke, a pair of German stakes winners in Group 3 winner Pakal and 2011 Topkapi Trophy third-place finisher Indomito, and English stakes winner Van Ellis in addition to Master of Hounds, who finished fifth in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1).
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Archbishop broke in a tangle and then was trapped on the inside for most of the 1600 meters (about one mile) of the race. But when Dettori swung him out in midstretch, the blaze-faced bay took flight, narrowing with each stride the advantage Master of Hounds and Christophe Soumillon had built with their own rally.
Trakus reported that Archbishop’s peak speed was the fastest in the race with a clocking of 67.7 kilometers per hour (about 42.066 miles per hour). But the finish line came up just a few strides too fast, leaving him a neck behind Master of Hounds. Indomito again finished third.
Time for the race was 1:34.49 on a turf course rated good.
Archbishop, who races in the green and black silks of Runnymede Chairman Catesby W. Clay, has now won or placed in three group stakes, including an extremely game dead-heat victory in the Thoroughbred Stakes (G3) at Goodwood Racecourse in England on August 3. He also finished second in the Prix Paul de Moussac (G3) at Chantilly on June 9.
Trainer Brian Meehan has not yet declared his next target for Archbishop.