2022 Prix de l'arc de Triomphe heroin Alpinista for trainer Sir Mark Prescott is being aimed at another globetrotting victory, this time in the Japan Cup.
The five year old has shown just how smart she can be over the last year or so, landing the first of her eight race win streak at Goodwood in April 2021 in a Listed event and then went to Haydock when taking the Group Two Lancashire Oaks Stakes.
Sent to Germany off the back of those wins she landed a hat-trick at Hoppegarten in the Group One Grosser Preis von Berlin and staying in Germany she made it four in a row with the G1 Preis von Europa.
Sir Mark Prescott went with if its not broken don't fix it and she made it five wins in the trot and a hat-trick in Germany when landing her third straight Group One at Munich.
Put away for the season she returned in France in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and not needing the run she kept her unbeaten run going taking a fourth straight Group One.
Looking to make it five Group Ones on the spin she went to York for the Yorkshire Oaks and got the job done late on which set her up perfectly for a tilt at the Arc.
She went on to see off 19 other runners in awful conditions having been heavily backed on the afternoon, giving her trainer a first win in the race.
A superstar mare that will have a great career when sent to stud, but before that will next contest the Group One Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.
Brilliant mare! Alpinista is amazing in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for Sir Mark Prescott and @Luke_Morris88! @paris_longchamp #QPAT pic.twitter.com/moHLxIgtS3
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 2, 2022
(Credit ATR) Prescott said:“It was a wonderful day when she won. It was marvellous.
“Everybody was so kind. It was overwhelming, really. I was very touched by everybody’s kindness.“She has been fine since – very, very well – and I’ve had no hiccups with her. She has been very well.
“At the moment, we will keep aiming for the Japan Cup, but if anything went amiss, we’d stop
.“If she wanted to go, at the moment, that is the way we are heading. But it is only if she wants to.
“It would be nice if the filly kept going as well as she is, in which case, we have got a decision to make and if she doesn’t keep going, well, that’s that.
“She owes us nothing. She is a marvellous animal.”
Her Arc win saw her record stand at 10 wins from 15 starts winning over £3.3million in prize money, and her trainer is left wondering if she can keep improving.
“She has just been wonderful,” said Prescott.
“It has been a wonderful couple of years with her, really.
“I think, when they get a little bit better every time… what is so hard with horses is they start well and can then become disappointing. That’s so awful for everybody, but when they are this way round, it is a marvellous ride.
“I think I’m right in saying her official rating has gone up every single race she has won. So, we have got to hold our breath for a bit longer.”