Dettori’s Mastery too slick for Americain

The Americain travelling fairytale is over for now, without a hoped-for addendum in the Group 1 Cathay Pacific International Vase in Hong Kong.

The brilliant Melbourne Cup winner did not have the speed in his legs to run down Godolphin’s Mastery and English stayer Redwood in the $HK14 million (about $A1.8 million) race at Sha Tin yesterday.

A subsequent veterinary examination showed that Americain was galloped on from behind. He will have precautionary scans today to detect if there is deep-seated damage.

The task facing Americain was shown by the final 400m splits for the 2400m Vase and the 1200m Sprint, also a Group 1 race – the world’s quickest horses (Victoria’s super sprinter Black Caviar excluded) ran home in 22.86 seconds; the stayers ran their final split in 22.87.

Coming back from 3200 metres in last month’s Melbourne Cup at Flemington, the French-trained, Australian-owned Americain couldn’t go with Mastery, who stole a break 400m out – nor with Redwood, who was chasing – but ran on nicely to win the duel for third with another ‘two-miler, Japan’s Jaguar Mail, ridden by Craig Williams.

Both Gerald Mosse, Americain’s jockey, and Williams said the race tempo cost them any winning chance.

“The pace was way too slow for him,” Mosse said. “He does not have the turn of foot to catch these horses (but) he gave me everything he had and tried so hard.”

Williams said of Jaguar Mail, who he rode to win the Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m) in Japan in May: “The pace was against him, but he ran very well.”

Americain’s trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre agreed with Mosse’s assessment and said the horse would go for a spell before resuming in Europe, possibly with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m, Longchamp) in October as his target.

The Sprint went to South African JJ The Jet Plane, who nosed out Singapore’s Rocket Man, with local favourite Sacred Kingdom third.

While disappointed that Rocket Man had his fourth second from four tries at an international Group 1 – he has won a Singapore Group 1 – trainer Patrick Shaw was happy that his horse gave his all.

JJ The Jet Plane is an extraordinary traveller, having started in South Africa for young trainer ‘Lucky’ Houdalakis before racing in Europe for Mike De Kock and Richard Hannon, and returning to Houdalakis for two home wins after a six-month spell, before travelling again.

The trip to the Hong Kong International Sprint took 100 days, with time in quarantine in England and Hong Kong. Next stop is Dubai for its big meeting in March.

Mastery’s Vase win brought a double star jump from jockey Frankie Dettori, who dismounted in flamboyant style on return and then again for the official presentation – after the winning jockey in each of the Group 1 races weighs in, he gets back on the horse, who has been resaddled, and is led to the presentation dais in the straight.

The International Mile provided Mosse with rich consolation, his mount Beauty Flash racing on the pace and winning strongly after injured Able One was withdrawn at the barrier to the anguish of a parochial crowd who had backed him into $3.30 favourite.

The 2000m International Cup, the richest race on the card at $HK20 million (about $A2.8 million), confirmed that English-trained filly Snow Fairy is one of the elite in the world this season.

The winner of the Epsom and Irish Oaks mid-year and the QE11 Commemorative Cup in Japan last month, defied the racing pattern to come from the rear to win by a neck for English rider Ryan Moore, who completed a big week – he won the international jockeys’ challenge with two successes from four mounts at Happy Valley on Wednesday.

After Snow Fairy beat local horses Irian and Packing Winner, Moore said: “I thought she had no chance when we were turning in, but she quickened up so well. She is very special – a machine.”

About 53,000 attended the meeting, which was telecast to Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the UK.

Photo: Mastery (Frankie Dettori, all blue) burst for home in the International Vase. Americain (noseband) is far right.