Sunday marks the final racecourse appearance of one of the most memorable horses of the 21st Century, as Auguste Rodin sets foot on the track for the final time. Tokyo is the fitting destination as the four-year-old heads to his father’s homeland to tackle the Japan Cup.
Top-class performers rarely fail to leave a lasting impression, but what makes Auguste Rodin so endearing is his element of unpredictability. Falling firmly into the flawed genius category, the son of Deep Impact is an exceptional performer… but only when he feels like it.
When He was Good, He was Very Good
Making his debut in 2022, life began smoothly for this Aidan O’Brien star. Having finished an encouraging second on his debut, he mopped up his next three starts with the minimum of fuss and rocketed to the head of the 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby market following a tenacious victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy.
Three more wins followed in his Classic campaign. Under Ryan Moore, the colt stormed home to wrest the Epsom Derby from the grip of King Of Steel, followed up in the Irish Derby, and made it a hat-trick of Group 1 triumphs when claiming the Irish Champions Stakes. Still not finished, he took his talent stateside to claim a famous success in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Given his phenomenal stud value, many expected Auguste Rodin to retire at the end of his three-year-old season. Commendably, connections kept the star in training for one more year and were rewarded with a sixth career Group 1 in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
And when he was bad, he was horrid
Three seasons and six top-level triumphs represent a record of which any trainer would be proud. However, there is another side to Auguste Rodin. Snaking through that list of stellar performances is a collection of efforts which left connections and punters scratching their heads.
The 2023 edition of the 2,000 Guineas provided the first entry into the colt’s lowlights reel. Sent off as the 13/8 favourite, many expected Auguste Rodin to take the first step towards the Triple Crown in his stride. Instead, he was scrubbed along early on his way to a 12th of 14 finish – fully 22 lengths adrift of the winner Chaldean.
Having bounced back from that effort with English and Irish Derby wins, his Newmarket performance appeared to be a one-off. Not so. Auguste the terrible returned in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Again, starting as favourite, the mount of Ryan Moore had clearly stepped out of the wrong side of his stable that day as he laboured to a last-of-10 finish – crossing the line a yawning 127 lengths behind Hukum.
Whilst Auguste Rodin won only one of his first five starts at four, he did improve in the consistency department. A fifth-place performance in the King George was a little disappointing, but his only truly woeful effort came when refusing to beat a single rival on his seasonal return in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Rollercoaster Ends in Japan
Despite those ups and downs, Auguste Rodin has been a good friend to punters. Those placing a £10 level stakes punt on the Ballydoyle star across his 15 outings would have secured a profit of £83.88. The final opportunity for Auguste Rodin and supporters to earn a payout comes this Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse as the loveable rogue lines up in the prestigious Japan Cup.
If he turns up at his best, Auguste Rodin has every chance of handing Aidan O’Brien a first success in one of the biggest races of the Japanese season. However, any chinks are likely to be ruthlessly exposed in this high-class international field.
Shock King George hero Goliath flies the flag for France, whilst Germany is represented by Grosser Preis von Baden champ Fantastic Moon. However, the biggest challenge may emerge from the home team.
The hosts have claimed the past 18 editions of this event and are sure to make a bold bid once again. Double Classic winner Cervinia seems likely to start favourite on the day, but others are in the mix, including Tenno Sho winners Do Deuce and Justin Palace and Stars on Earth, who bids for a third top-level success. All in all, a race not to miss and an opportunity to say thank you and farewell to the most brilliantly enigmatic colt of his generation.
