Poule d’Essai des Poulains To Brametot
Three-Year-Olds
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Brametot (3 c ex Morning Light by Law Society) led in the last stride to win the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Gr 1, 1600m), commonly referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, at Deauville on Sunday, in the process giving his Haras De La Cauviniere-based sire Rajsaman (Linamix) his first Group One winner.
The Al Shaqab-raced colt settled in midfield in the early stages under Cristian Demuro, and he was produced to mount his challenge at the 300 metres.
Le Brivido (Siyouni) cruised into the lead approaching the 200 metres and looked sure to continue Andre Fabre’s excellent start to the season, but Brametot kept on strongly to run down that rival on the line to win by a short-head, with British raider Rivet (Fastnet Rock) a further three lengths adrift in third.
The Sun Bloodstock-raced favourite National Defense (Invincible Spirit), who won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr 1, 1600m) last season, was too keen in the early stages and finished tailed off.
The victory provided Rouget, last year’s French champion trainer, with some welcome respite after a difficult start to the season, with one of his three stables in Pau struck down by a serious virus.
The previous day at Deauville, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Gr 1, 1600m) went the way of Fabrice Chappet-trained outsider Precieuse (3 f ex Zut Alors by Pivotal), who also provided Tamayuz (Nayef) with his second Group One winner.
The filly, who returned a 28/1 chance and had finished second in the Prix Sigy (Gr 3, 1200m) at Chantilly at her previous start, raced in midfield in the early stages under Olivier Peslier off an even tempo.
British raider Sea Of Grace (Born To Sea) looked set to take out the Group One race at the 200 metres, but Precieuse swept through in the closing stages to win by a length and three quarters, with a further three quarters of a length back to Heuristique (Shamardal) in third.
The Charlie Appleby-trained and Godolphin-raced Sobetsu (3 f ex Lake Toya by Darshaan) ran out an emphatic winner of the Prix Saint-Alary (Gr 1, 2000m) at Deauville on Sunday, giving Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) his 131st stakes winner and 28th Group One winner.
The filly raced just in behind the leader in the early stages under William Buick in a steadily run race, and once asked to quickened approaching the 300 metres she sprinted clear in taking fashion to beat Vue Fantastique (Motivator) by three lengths, with fellow British raider Coronet (Dubawi) a further length and three quarters behind in third place.
Newmarket-based Appleby revealed earlier this week that Sobetsu will return to France for the Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) on 18 June, rather than tackle the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on 2 June, citing the filly’s preference for easier ground.
There were several key Classic trials in England last week, with Venice Beach (3 c Galileo – Danedrop by Danehill) leading home an Aidan O’Brien-trained trifecta in the Chester Vase (Gr 3, 1m4.5f) at Chester last Thursday to put himself in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) picture.
The colt, who is a half-brother to former top-class racemare Danedream (Lomitas), was settled on the rail in third place in the early stages by Ryan Moore and, once angled out to mount his challenge in the straight, he ran on strongly to beat his stablemates Wings Of Eagles (Pour Moi) and The Anvil (Galileo) by a length and a quarter and a nose respectively.
The following day, his stablemate Cliffs Of Moher (3 c Galileo – Wave by Dansili) continued the excellent form of the O’Brien stable to win the Dee Stakes (Listed, 1m2.5f) at Chester.
The colt raced on the shoulder of the front-running Max Zorin (Cape Cross) until the home straight when he outstayed that rival, and he had enough in the tank to fend off the fast-finishing Bay Of Poets (Lope De Vega) by a length and a half.
Venice Beach and Cliffs Of Moher, who gave Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) his 238th and 239th stakes winners, are now general 14/1 and 6/1 chances for the Derby on 3 June.
The John Gosden-trained Enable (3 f ex Concentric by Sadler’s Wells) gave her second season sire Nathaniel (Galileo) his first stakes winner and showcased her Oaks credentials with a convincing win in the Cheshire Oaks (Listed, 1m3.5f) at Chester last week.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, the three-year-old filly tracked the leaders in the early part of the contest and had too much speed for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Alluringly (Fastnet Rock), winning by a length and a half.
Gosden also saddled Hertford Dancer (3 f ex Tebee by Selkirk) to win the Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 1m3.5f) at Lingfield on Saturday, giving Newgate Farm reverse shuttler Foxwedge (Fastnet Rock) his fifth stakes winner.
The filly beat another Aidan O’Brien-trained runner in Pocketfullofdreams (Invincible Spirit) by a length and a half, while the Godolphin-raced Best Solution (3 c Kodiac – Al Andalyya by Kingmambo) entered the reckoning for the Derby with a comfortable win in the Derby Trial Stakes (Listed, 1m3.5f) at the same track.
The colt, who won the Autumn Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Newmarket last October, travelled strongly into contention in behind the leaders under Pat Cosgrave and quickened clear at the two furlong marker to beat Glencadam Glory (Nathaniel) by three and a quarter lengths.
Older Horses
The Andreas Wohler-trained and Australian Bloodstock-raced Red Cardinal (5 g ex Notable by Zafonic) made a winning reappearance in the Oleander-Rennen (Gr 2, 3200m) at Hoppegarten in Berlin on Sunday, providing the late Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells) with his 125th stakes winner.
The gelding travelled strongly into contention in midfield on the inside under Eduardo Pedroza, who delivered the five-year-old to make his challenge shortly after entering the home straight.
He found plenty for pressure on his first start since finishing second in the Preis Von Europa (Gr 1, 2400m) in September, staying on well to beat the British raider Nearly Caught (New Approach) by a length and a quarter, with San Salvador (Lord Of England) a further nose behind in third place.
Jamie Lovett of owners Australian Bloodstock said after the race that Red Cardinal could take in stakes races in America and Europe before travelling to Melbourne in the spring for the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).
At Lingfield on Saturday, the Chris Wall-trained Mix And Mingle (4 f ex Mango Lady by Dalakhani) ran out an impressive winner of the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes (Gr 3, 7f), giving Exceed And Excel (Danehill) his 131st stakes winner.
The filly raced alone on the stands rail under Ryan Moore and quickened up well to beat the dual Group One-winning French raider Qemah (Danehill Dancer) by two and a quarter lengths, with Pirouette (Pivotal) a further length and a half behind in third place.
Earlier in the week at Chester, Aidan O’Brien’s Deauville (4 c Galileo – Walklikeanegyptian by Danehill) led from gate to wire to win the Huxley Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2.5f).
The four-year-old, a Grade One winner in America last season who finished a close second in the Gordon Richards Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) second up at Sandown on 28 April, quickened on the home turn and just held on to deny the fast-finishing Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice) by a neck with Folkswood (Exceed And Excel) a further two and three quarter lengths back in third.
Also at Chester, the John Gosden-trained Western Hymn (6 g High Chaparral – Blue Rhapsody by Cape Cross) got up in the final stride to beat Aidan O’Brien’s US Army Ranger (Galileo) by a short-head in the Ormonde Stakes (Gr 3, 1m5.5f).