Yasutoshi Ikee brushed aside the disappointment of his Japanese superstar Orfevre finishing second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the second successive year and pledged to return to claim the victory his country craves.
The 44-year-old trainer, whose father Yasuo also failed to land the race when his champion Deep Impact finished third in 2006, said he was extremely proud of Orfevre’s performance to finish five lengths second to unbeaten French filly Treve.
It was a more comprehensive defeat than last year when the horse’s quirky temperament cost him the race when he veered across the track, allowing unheralded filly Solemia to steal the honours.
However, Ikee, who kept his emotions to himself unlike many of his 6000 compatriots who flew in for the race and openly wept, said it was a greater performance as he came second in a renewal regarded by many as the best since Dancing Brave won in 1986.
“For me it was his greatest performance,” said Ikee, who in 2011 trained Orfevre to become only the seventh horse to win the Japanese Triple Crown (2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger).
“He didn’t lose his head this year. He wouldn’t let Intello (who finished third) get past him all the way down the finishing straight, It was very impressive.
“He had got a bit excited on the bend into the final straight but he calmed down which a year ago he would not have done.”
Ikee said defeat only made him keener to make history for Japan.
“I will be back and try to win the Arc. This experience only makes me hungrier to win it,” he said.
Orfevre’s jockey Christophe Soumillon, who had been instructed not to try to get his mount to the front as early this year, said he had no complaints about the result.
“He ran a great race, he was a lot more tense this year, but he was also a lot stronger mentally,” he said.
“The only time he got slightly unnerved was when Treve came alongside us on the run down to the final bend but he refocused.
“We got slightly jammed in and Treve took her chance to go clear.
“I hoped that Treve would run out of gas but it wasn’t to be and my fellow lacked the turn of foot he had last year to reel her in.”
The other Japanese runner, Kizuna, finished fourth.
