Rossa Ryan feeling ‘on top of the world’ after Arc win

Rossa Ryan is still struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winning jockey the day after Bluestocking ensured the pair will always have a place in history.

Ryan delivered the Ralph Beckett-trained four-year-old perfectly, sitting just off Ryan Moore and Los Angeles through the first half of the race before moving up menacingly with three furlongs to run.

A strong stayer at a mile and a half, despite winning the Pretty Polly in Ireland over 10 furlongs earlier in the season, Bluestocking confirmed the form of her Prix Vermeille win over Aventure when holding off the same rival by a length and a quarter.

Speaking to Racing TV at Pontefract having won on Beckett’s Sir Dinadan, Ryan said: “It’s a bit surreal to be honest, I woke up a very happy man this morning, I was on top of the world.

“It all went perfect but it came from the way she broke, I needed her to jump really well for me and she did, after that it was smooth sailing.

“When Ryan came over on Los Angeles, I thought ‘brilliant’ because that meant I had one of the main protagonists in front of me and he gave me a nice lead.

“I was able to sit on her in the false straight and that gave me some leeway before I pulled her out and made my challenge without having to force my way out – and the rest is history.”

Despite finishing second in the Irish Oaks and on Champions Day at Ascot, Bluestocking ended last year with just a novice stakes win to her name as a two-year-old.

She has thrived at four, however, winning the Middleton Stakes at York, the Pretty Polly at the Curragh, the Prix Vermeille and now the Arc.

“Three out, she lit up and when Sosie and them came around me, she lit up better than ever, she’s never done that under me – she was ready for yesterday, Ralph and the team had her absolutely spot on,” Ryan went on.

“There were a few in the pre-parade getting hot and a bit upset but she never turned a hair and took it like a champion – it was a dream come true.

“You have to admire the way Ralph has campaigned her, it’s been a bit like John Oxx with Sea The Stars, once a month, but this is her third run in nine weeks and she fired better than ever.

“I know a lot of the French trainers were saying theirs would come on from their runs in the trials but it was only three weeks out from the biggest day of their careers and the Vermeille form stacked up, Aventure came through with me again.

“I’m pinching myself, I still think it’s a dream. To have my parents there (was brilliant), a lot of my friends came over too. It was brilliant watching the media write her off all week, the more I got into the form, the more I thought I had a stronger chance – and she didn’t let me down.”