Tag Archive for: Prix de Diane

Gezora takes Prix de Diane honours at Chantilly from Bedtime Story

/in /by

Gezora edged out Bedtime Story to win the Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, with Shes Perfect unable to gain Classic compensation after controversially losing the French 1000 Guineas in the stewards’ room.

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Gezora raced in the pack through the 10-furlong contest before switched out to launch her challenge with around a furlong and a half to run.

She kept finding for pressure all the way to the line, having enough in reserve to hold off the Aidan O’Brien-trained Bedtime Story, who only narrowly failed to come from last to first under Ryan Moore.

The Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect turned for home and momentarily looked she would again be involved at the business end, but while she was in front with two furlongs to run, she had raced keenly in second and was ultimately eased by Kieran Shoemark when her chance had gone.

Gezora was beaten by stablemate Mandanaba on her initial start in April, but the Almanzor filly landed the Prix Saint-Alary last time – a performance which gave Graffard plenty of confidence.

He said: “She ran a nice race at Longchamp, she showed something new to me. She’s improving all time and I saw after the race she really improved again, she was so happy, so confident in herself.”

Bookmaker reaction was positive to a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe bid, with Coral introducing Gezora at 14-1, and Graffard added: “It’s great to have the Arc ‘win and you’re in races’ and we know she loves the soft ground and we close no doors.”

Soumillon praised the winner’s heart for a battle, saying: “When they started to quicken in the straight I was following them really easily, I knew she’d be able to change gear and that’s exactly what she did. The pace was on and she was ready to react at the right time.

“I saw Ryan coming on my outside and thought ‘here comes Aidan again!’, but she had a great heart and we won it.”

Asked about the Arc, the rider said: “She can do a mile and a half, I think, we’ll see what she can do in the Vermeille. We know she likes soft ground and the form from the Prix de Conde (last year) was great, the winner (Lazy Griff) was second in the Derby at Epsom and here (she is) the winner of the Prix de Diane, so sometimes you never know.”

For owner Peter Brant, the victory in his White Birch Farm colours was the realisation of a long-held ambition to win the French fillies’ Classic.

Brant purchased Gezora after she won two of her four juvenile starts and was thrilled to see her better Sistercharlie, who was beaten just a length in the 2017 renewal before going on to a stellar American career.

He said: “I think it’s probably one of the three or four races I’ve dreamt of winning. I think it’s the greatest three-year-old filly race – it’s always stiff competition.

“We were second with Sistercharlie, a great filly who won seven Grade Ones and she couldn’t even win this race because she got into trouble. It’s a very difficult race to predict.”

O’Brien said of the runner-up: “We’re delighted with Bedtime Story’s performance. She ran a magnificent race. Her improvement is clear. I’ve consistently run her in good races, and she’s now showing her true form.

“This result, over this distance, opens a lot of doors. I’m not sure yet what we’ll do next. We need to see how she comes out of it.”

Meanwhile, Fellowes will now drop back in distance with Shes Perfect, who finished ninth, and could also dip in class in search of what would a deserved Group-race win.

He said: “I think it’s clear she just didn’t really stay. I always thought 10 furlongs would be in her range, but then she did a really sparkling piece of work earlier in the week and I thought maybe she had more speed than I gave her credit for.

“She won a Pouliches so we have a very, very good filly, it was the right thing to roll the dice here over 10 furlongs and we have learned a lot.

“The Falmouth would be the obvious race for her, but we might even think about dropping back in grade to try to get her head in front, give her a bit of a confidence boost and get that stakes win.

“I have a slight niggle in the back of my head that she might prefer a bit of ease underfoot, even though she ran so well in the Pouliches, maybe she was just saving herself a bit today as I walked the course and it was fast enough.

“If it turned up quick for her next run, I wouldn’t shy away, but I think we’ll let the dust settle a bit before making a firm plan.”

Fellowes hoping for Perfect outcome in France

/in /by

Shes Perfect holds leading claims in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly, as she returns to France in search of the Classic glory she was agonisingly denied last month.

Owned by the Basher Watts Racing Club and trained by Charlie Fellowes, Shes Perfect was first past the post in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches before losing the race after an inquiry, and after unsuccessfully trying to appeal the decision, connections cross the Channel once again hoping to correct the record.

Fellowes said: “This has been the plan pretty much since the French Guineas and we had the choice between this or the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, but I always thought she would stay at least 10 furlongs and we felt this was the right time to try it.

“She’s in good order and hasn’t missed a beat since Longchamp and she’s travelled over well. They’ve had a bit of rain which is welcome and will hopefully take the sting out of the ground which is ideal.

“The draw is fine in seven and being honest with only 12 runners it wasn’t quite as crucial as it was for Luther in the French Derby where there was a few more and we didn’t want to be posted wide. Also she is electric out of the gates which negates any draw concerns really.”

It was Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zarigana who was ultimately awarded the French 1000 Guineas crown at ParisLongchamp, but her stablemate Mandanaba was also on the premises in third and Fellowes is respectful of the challenge she represents.

Fellowes added: “It’s a good race and there is plenty in there to beat.  Mandanaba ran a screamer in the Guineas and on pedigree should have no problem staying further and Aidan (O’Brien) has two in there who always have to be respected so it is no walk over by any stretch of the imagination.

“But we’re really looking forward to seeing her run and hopefully she can go over there and do the business.”

Trainer Charlie Fellowes could win his first Group One at Chantilly
Trainer Charlie Fellowes could win his first Group One at Chantilly (Mike Egerton/PA)

As identified by Fellowes it is Mandanaba who presents the biggest danger to Shes Perfect, with a Classic success for the daughter of Ghaiyyath particularly poignant as she runs in the colours of Princess Zahra Aga Khan.

Nemone Routh, manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “Her breeding would suggest she’ll be better over a mile and a quarter.

“We hesitated for a long time over whether to run in the Prix Saint-Alary or put her in the Group One Classic over a mile because it is a Classic and you don’t get many opportunities when the horse is well to run at that level in that type of race.

“She ran a great race, it was only her third run and she got left a little bit on her own on the inside and she was very game.

“She’s a very genuine filly who shows quite a lot of speed early in her races and we think she’s a filly who likes good, fast ground.

“She’s not a big filly, but she’s quite strong and it’s a nice story in that she’s the last foal of her dam Mandesha, who was retired after she foaled her.

“Mandesha was a champion for Princess Zahra who won three Group Ones over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half, which is quite a rare achievement and it’s nice to find some of her quality in her last foal.”

Also trained by Graffard is Cankoura has won three of her five starts, although this represents a big rise in class from the Listed race she won at ParisLongchamp last time out.

Further British representation, meanwhile, comes with American Gal for the in-form Ed Walker and the John and Thady Gosden-trained Sand Gazelle, while O’Brien saddles Bedtime Story and Merrily, with Ryan Moore aboard the first-named.

Shes Perfect bids to repay owners’ faith in French Oaks

/in /by

After leaving a big-money offer on the table, Basher Watts is a mix of nerves and excitement ahead of Shes Perfect’s quest for Prix de Diane glory at Chantilly on Sunday.

Owned by the social media influencer’s burgeoning racing club, the Charlie Fellowes-trained filly showed her star quality when first past the post in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, with Watts revealing her owners had no hesitation in turning down a $2.5million offer from Japan to head back to France in search of Classic compensation.

“I’m nervous, but there’s also a lot of excitement there,” said Watts.

“We had a big offer for her last week but we put it to all her 38 owners and 37 instantly said no. You get into horse racing with a dream of owning a horse like her and sometimes some things are worth more than money.

“That 15 minutes when we thought we had won the race at Longchamp is worth more money than anyone would be willing to pay and I just couldn’t ever enjoy watching her in someone else’s silks. There are so many big races to come and we want to be the ones enjoying that journey with her.

“I went in to see her do her last piece of work last week and I’ve been in to see her again today and it all still doesn’t feel real that we own the favourite for the Prix de Diane.”

After losing the French 1000 Guineas in the stewards’ room and then also failing with their subsequent attempt to appeal the decision, the Shes Perfect team were left to contemplate a Royal Ascot rematch in the Coronation Stakes with ParisLongchamp rival Zarigana or stepping up in distance for another tilt at a Classic and also redemption in France.

However, with her handler keen to explore options up in trip and a tantalising ticket to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe waiting to be stamped for later in the season, it was decided Shes Perfect could be aptly named for the challenge of the French Oaks, with connections buoyant after being handed stall seven at Chantilly.

“We definitely spoke in depth about where to go and there were a few different factors why we decided to go back to France,” explained Watts.

“One of them is we need to know whether she stays and this will only be the fifth run of her career, so let’s find out sooner or later if she does. She has an Arc entry and it’s unbelievable to think she could even be running in a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

“This is the perfect step up for her without stretching her too far and we do think French racing suits her style of racing.”

He went on: “There is also the competitor in me who thinks how sweet would it be to go back to France and win the second Classic for fillies and this time keep it. This is our last ever shot at a Classic with her, so why not roll the dice and see.

“Last time out wasn’t the ending we wanted, but even going out to France with all her owners is an amazing experience and amazing trip and we’ll go back there and hope we can ‘win’ again.”

“We were happy with the draw in seven and I thought it would be typical if we got 12 of 12, but we’ll happily take seven. Let’s hope it’s the French paying us back a little bit and we’ll keep everything crossed.”

Connections opt to miss French Oaks with Falakeyah

/in /by

Falakeyah will not be running in the Prix de Diane on Sunday, with the race coming too soon for Owen Burrows’ filly following a dirty scope 10 days ago.

Despite working well on Tuesday morning, Burrows felt the French Classic at Chantilly was just coming at the wrong time for his unbeaten three-year-old, who needs a little longer to recuperate.

Having bypassed the Oaks at Epsom to wait for France, her third Group One option of three after she won on her comeback at Newmarket was the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, should connections decide on coming back to a mile next week, she would need to be supplemented.

Angus Gold, racing manager for the filly’s owners, Shadwell, said: “She scoped dirty 10 days ago.

“We treated her and worked her this morning, she worked beautifully, we were all very happy, but Owen just said she had a decent blow having missed a crucial bit of work.

“It is hard enough to win a Classic when you are 110 per cent so we’re not going to risk running her.

“We haven’t got as far as discussing the next plan yet, but she won’t be going to France, it’s just bad timing.”

Monday Musings: A New Head of the Table

/in /by

As Royal Ascot looms, writes Tony Stafford, what could be better for the boys from Coolmore Stud as they ponder their prospects across another important week than that a brilliant dual Classic winner comes along to advertise their operation?

When the horse in question, by their UK and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill, is owned and trained elsewhere, it must be almost more satisfying. Chances are that when the Christopher Head-trained Blue Rose Cen beat their filly Never Ending Story, trained by Aidan O’Brien, by four effortless lengths in the Prix De Diane at Chantilly yesterday, it will not have bothered them a jot. There, she was supplementing her triumph in the French 1000 Guineas from a month ago.

Fixing stallion fees is one of the primary skills of this operation. A dual Guineas winner by Galileo, so one of his speedier Classic horses, Churchill might have been earmarked from the outset to get to the top. In that context the initial fee of €35k was more an enticement than a reflection of their faith in their horse.

That was in 2018 and, the following year, he was introduced to Queen Blossom, a filly that had started out as a €15k graduate of the Goffs Sportsman yearling sale (3rd division stuff really) but who did well for P J Prendergast with a win on debut and a one-mile Group 3 success on her third start. Later she was exported to the US.

It took a while for her to match that first stakes success and reach her peak over there. But she found it in the unusually severe stamina test (for the US) of the Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita, a 1m4f Grade 3 for older fillies and mares, which fell right into her wheelhouse. By then a five-year-old, she was the lesser fancied of two Richard Balthas entries but won nicely and was soon on the way back to Europe, after a $220k sale.

A few months later, she was through a sale ring once more, but this time the late John Hassett had identified the daughter of smart but ill-fated dual-purpose sire Jeremy, as a prospect and acquired her through Ted Durcan for 110,000gns. She was sent to be one of Churchill’s second crop harem. Three and a half years on, her daughter Blue Rose Cen stands with a record of seven wins in nine starts, her only defeats at two on debut and when a close second to Aidan’s subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road, who has yet to appear following a training injury at the start of the season.

Those two impressive Classic victories will be the impetus for Churchill to move into the next level as a stallion. The fee was down to €30k for the present covering season, but we can expect something more akin to €50k or more when the numbers get crunched by the back-room experts in Co Tipperary come the late autumn.

Blue Rose Cen had hitherto been the second-top-rated horse in the stable of relative newcomer Christopher Head, but no longer. Head, 36, could hardly have a better heritage if he wanted to operate within any branch of thoroughbred racing as he is a fifth-generation member of the revered Head dynasty.

Originally from the UK, his great-grandfather William moved to France early in the 20th Century and soon became a leading National Hunt rider and later trainer, winning four jumps championships either side of World War I during which he fought with the British army.

Son Alec initially started riding over jumps and won successive runnings of the Grande Course de Haies, the second time on Le Paillon (1947) on which he finished runner-up to National Spirit in the 1948 Champion Hurdle.

Le Paillon went on to win the Arc but, after some falls and increasing weight, Alec’s wife Ghislaine encouraged him to retire and to set up as a trainer which he did as a 23-year-old. For half a century he won a series of major races including four Arcs which he also won three times later as a breeder and another as an owner.

When he retired to give full attention to his Haras Du Quesnay, which he ran with outstanding success with wife Ghislaine, his daughter Christiane (Criquette) took over as trainer while younger brother Freddy had a stellar riding career on the flat, before also proving a top-class trainer.

Christopher is Freddy’s son, and when I spoke to Ted Durcan last night, he said the sophomore handler has really been shaking up the established order and practice of training in France. In some ways his methods make him French flat racing’s equivalent to Ben Stokes and Brendan McCullum in England cricket.

Blue Rose Cen, following that record of four from six as a juvenile, the last of which a five length romp in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, has now won a Guineas trial, the French 1,000 and the French Oaks in 2023 by increasingly easy margins.

I mentioned that she only moved ahead of stable-companion Big Rock because of yesterday’s success.  Big Rock had run three races in maidens before the turn of the year with another trainer before his owners moved him to Head.

Starting in a minor handicap at Longchamp three weeks after that fifth place for his previous trainer he won off 37 (81 UK equivalent) by five and a half lengths. Raised in grade the following month, Big Rock won a Listed by 4 ½ lengths; then two Group 3 races, the La Force by 2 ½ and the Guiche by five lengths.

By the time he turned out for the Prix du Jockey Club as the 17/10 favourite this month, his mark had been elevated from to 115. Even though beaten into second in the Jockey Club, by the unbeaten Ace Impact trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, he went up another 1lb.

It will be interesting to see whether Big Rock will continue running with the regularity he has so far, with some smart entries already including the Arc; and no doubt his trainer would love to follow the family tradition in that race. At this stage Blue Rose Cen might seem the more likely to be there on the first Sunday of October.

Christopher will have been aware of the many brilliant Head family fillies all his life, such as Three Troikas and dual Arc winner Treve for Criquette. While not an Arc heroine, the remarkable Goldikova, winner of the Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot in 2010, was trained by Freddy. She went on to win three consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile races and was a close third as a six-year-old when attempting the four-timer.

Tomorrow’s Queen Anne field is nowhere near the level of last year, when Baaeed enjoyed his exhibition. Neither is there anything within a stone and then some of Frankel, winner two years after Goldikova. Thoughts of his grandfather will also be at the forefront of the emerging young handler as it was a year ago this Thursday that the great Alec Head died aged 97.

But on the opening day I’m most looking forward to the clash between Chaldean, the 2000 Guineas winner, and Irish 2000 victor Paddington, who stepped into the void left by vanquished Ballydoyle 2000 flops but subsequent Derby (Auguste Rodin) and Haydock sprint (Little Big Bear) winners.

Royal Scotsman, Galeron and Charyn all try for a third time having run in both colts’ Guineas, but I’ll be cheering for Isaac Shelby to keep Brian Meehan’s spirits up after his near miss in the French 2000.

My bet of the week, however, is Zinc White in the Ascot Stakes. There’s only an 8lb range between the 100-rated top-weight Tritonic and Ian Williams’ Chester Plate winner on his first run for ages. The 8lb he was raised was just enough to get him in here on the bottom at number 20 and Ian is entitled to say it’s just as important to be lucky as to be talented.

***

For those of you that might have been confused having read the various versions of last week’s effort, I can only hold my hands up, especially to Conrad Allen, whom I misquoted several times, making a pig’s ear of getting his amazing story in some order. Writing in the middle of the night has its potential downside, not least eliminating the possibility to re-check, or be corrected by the subject once he has read what has been attributed to him.

Fortunately, Conrad was able to point out where I’d gone wrong in transcribing my notes and the final effort, I trust, was acceptable to him. Many thanks to the Editor too for his forbearance. Meanwhile Conrad’s filly Princess Chizara is jocked up to run in Wednesday’s Queen Mary Stakes in the colours of owner Izy Manueke and I hope she gives them a bold showing after her speed-laden debut win at Brighton.

- TS

Monday Musings: Of Long Days and the Classic Generation

/in /by

June 21st is upon us. The longest day was to be the freest day until the timid medical advisors to the UK government put the wind up them with fears that the D variant – the virus formerly known as Indian – would cause another surge in infections, writes Tony Stafford.

Well it has, averaging around 10,000 a day for the last week or so, but they are testing many, many more nowadays. Anyone prepared to go anywhere near a racecourse will have enjoyed the experience of things up their nose or aimed at their tonsils.

Since mine were removed in 1952, the year of the Queen’s ascent to the throne – rewarded with a nice ice cream <me, not the Queen> as I recall – I would only be eligible for the nose job, but apparently it’s very much an officialdom-rich environment.

While the infections have risen, the numbers dying most emphatically have not, an average of ten a day for the last week when the “roadmap” was hastily and negatively redrawn. With massive numbers of older people fully vaccinated you wouldn’t expect many deaths, but the silly old advisors want it both ways.

As I’ve said numerous times, I won’t go until everyone is free to go everywhere. I contented myself with a Saturday night day-early Father’s Day celebration with my three 40-plus children and a selection of their issue. Lovely it was too.

So on to the summer and of course from tonight the days will shorten inexorably by three minutes for each of the next 182 and then the semi-cycle will start again the other way round. We’ve already had Royal Ascot and ten of the 12 spring/summer European Classic races – only Ireland’s Derby and Oaks remain in that part of the calendar, and then the St Legers in their various forms and degrees of credibility.

The Irish have won eight of the ten, Jim Bolger picking up the 2,000 Guineas with Poetic Flare and his domestic version with Mac Swiney. Poetic Flare’s demolition job in the St James’s Palace Stakes certainly puts him well ahead among the mile colts this year.

The two Classics decided so far and not to have been won by the Irish have been the Poule D’Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000) won by Coeursamba, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, and  the Derby (Adayar, Charlie Appleby).

The remaining six have all been hoovered up by Aidan O’Brien and the Ballydoyle team and each of them boasts combinations of the increasingly complex Coolmore pedigrees.

Five individual horses have been involved in those all-important Classic victories, and four of them are fillies. I contend that St Mark’s Basilica, despite his workmanlike victory in the French 2,000 (Poulains) and a more comfortable Prix Du Jockey Club success, both under Ioritz Mendizabal, is vastly under-valued in official terms. He beat a big field in Chantilly and his female stable-companion Joan Of Arc (by Galileo, <really?!, Ed?>) was similarly too good for another large field of home fillies in yesterday’s French Oaks, the Prix de Diane. This time Coeursamba finished only 11th.

On Sunday Aidan relied on a single runner in a field of 17 and the 16 home defenders were no match for another Mendizabal mount who won by just over a length from the fast-finishing Fabre-trained and Godolphin-owned Philomene, a daughter of Dubawi.

That made it single-runner O’Brien challenges in three of the four French Classic races to be run so far – unplaced Van Gogh joined St Mark’s Basilica in the Jockey Club.  Therefore three wins and a close second (Mother Earth, ridden by Christophe Soumillon) in the French 1,000. That new-found minimalist approach also extended to Epsom and the Derby where Bolshoi Ballet, the favourite, was left as their only runner having been initially one of six expected to turn out.

Three of the four fillies in question improved markedly on juvenile form, the exception being 1,000 Guineas winner and then Pouliches runner-up Mother Earth, who had already earned her 111 rating for her second place in the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf race at Keeneland last November and remains on that figure despite her Classic exploits. She ran another game race in third in much the most testing ground she has faced in Friday’s Coronation Stakes at Ascot behind Andrew Balding’s Alcohol Free.

Joan Of Arc took a rating of 105 into the Irish 1,000 and was Ryan Moore’s choice for the race but Seamie Heffernan got up on the line that day aboard Empress Josephine (101) in a private duel between two Galileo fillies. She clearly improved on that yesterday while Emperor Josephine was assessed at 109 after her win.

But the biggest eye-opener was Snowfall, the 16-length Oaks winner at Epsom who went into her prep in the Musidora at York on an official mark of 90. That was upped to 108 after her Knavesmire romp but even so she was still believed by insiders to be second-best among a more normal Oaks quintet behind lightly-raced Santa Barbara, now beaten favourite in both this year’s fillies’ classics in the UK.

It seems to me a master-stroke of fudging by the BHA to restrict Snowfall’s latest mark to 120, not merely because that is 2lb lower than Enable after her Oaks defeat of Rhododendron – what that champion did after Epsom has nothing to do with the assessment - and also 1lb less than Adayar.

The give-away for me is to suggest that Mystery Angel, rated 100 after her fourth (four lengths back) in the Musidora had only equalled her York mark. That ignored she made the running at Epsom in a much bigger field and still had the resources left to stay on and retain second 16 lengths behind the Frankie Dettori-ridden winner, finishing well ahead of a trio of considerably more highly-rated fillies.

If the medical advisors who keep us wearing masks and touching fists rather than shaking hands are timid, they have nothing on the BHA men who fear giving too high a rating to a Classic winner, even one who has set a record winning distance for any UK Classic in living memory and beyond.

Snowfall has made the first big statement that she might be a challenger to Love, her predecessor as an outstanding Oaks winner and star of the stable’s slightly disappointing Royal Ascot, as the season progresses. Love, dropping back two furlongs after a ten-month absence since the 2020 Yorkshire Oaks, made all to win the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

A third female deserving of mention in that elite grouping must be the David Menuisier-trained four-year-old filly, Wonderful Tonight. She got first run on Broome to win Saturday’s Hardwicke Stakes in style despite its being her first appearance of the year. Her French-born Sussex-based trainer has the Arc, where she has a good chance of getting the soft ground she favours, as her main target.

Broome may not have won but earlier that afternoon his close relative by Australia, the two-year-old Point Lonsdale, won the Chesham Stakes, a race often reserved for the best of the earlier O’Brien juveniles. Ryan had a battle keeping him straight, first going right and as they got close home, more markedly left, but they had enough in hand to beat the Queen’s promising colt Reach For The Moon – Sea The Stars/ Gosdens / Dettori – by half a length.

We had wondered why she chose Saturday to make an appearance. That highly-encouraging performance and the good run later of her King’s Lynn in the Wokingham made it a bit more like Royal Ascot, even when viewed from Hackney Wick. Hopefully, Your Majesty, you and me (and many others besides) can be there for the whole five days in 2022.

The astonishing thing about all four female Coolmore Classic winners is that at no time did anyone at Ballydoyle, and certainly not the trainer nor the owners, believe any of them was within hailing distance of Santa Barbara. My guess from Epsom was that the favourite probably did not stay the mile and a half under the conditions and in the quirky way the race was run, up the stands side with all the direction changing that inevitably happens.

I’m looking forward to seeing her, in what still will be only her fourth race and with a highly-creditable close fourth to Mother Earth at Newmarket on her record, in a suitable race over ten furlongs. The Nassau would be nice, but maybe she won’t be the only one from her stable appearing in that Goodwood Group 1.