Unforgetable Filly Lands Dusseldorf Wempe
The two-year-old colt, who was purchased by Fahey for 72,000gns at Book Two of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2016 from the Bearstone Stud draft, showed a smart turn of foot to beat Arbalet (Dark Angel) by a length and a half, with just a head back to Astraea (Cityscape) in third place.
Fahey is likely to step International Man up in class at his next start, and Epaulette currently sits sixth in the first season sires standings by earnings in Great Britain with £17,319.
At Chantilly on the same day, Carlos Laffon-Parias saddled an impressive debut winner in Contortioniste (2 c Pivotal – Distortion by Distorted Humor).
The Wertheimer-raced and bred colt showed a good attitude to beat Saint Roch (Myboycharlie) cosily by three quarters of a length over 1200 metres under Maxime Guyon.
The two-year-old is from the same family as Group One winner Falco (Pivotal) and Group Three winner Iron Lips (Iron Mask), and he looks destined for a stakes contest in the near future.
Three-Year-Olds
The Niarchos Family-raced Senga (3 f Blame – Beta Leo by A. P. Indy) won a dramatic running of the Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Pascal Bary-trained filly was settled in midfield by jockey Stephane Pasquier as Normandie (Redoute’s Choice) and Haya Of Fortune (Soldier Of Fortune) contested even fractions on the front end in the early stages.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Rhododendron (Galileo) was pulled up on the approach to the straight by Ryan Moore, and was subsequently found to have bled, while Jean-Claude Rouget’s Onthemoonagain (Cape Cross) stumbled and unseated Christophe Soumillon around 300 metres out.
All the while, Pasquier was creeping closer with Senga and produced her with a well-timed run on the outside to sweep past Shutter Speed (Dansili) at the 200 metres, and she ran on well to beat Sistercharlie (Myboycharlie) by a length, with Terrakova (Galileo) just a nose further behind in third.
Earlier on the card, the Pascal Bary saddled another big race winner when Ice Breeze (3 c Nayef- Winter Silence by Dansili) ran out a narrow winner of the Prix Hocquart Longines (Gr 2, 2400m) at Chantilly.
The Juddmonte Farms-bred colt, who ran second in the Prix du Lys (Gr 3, 2400m) at Saint-Cloud on 23 May, battled on bravely to beat Shakeel (Dalakhani) by a head, with a further three quarters of a length back to Falcon Wings (Nathaniel) in third.
The Hugo Palmer-trained Unforgetable Filly (3 f Sepoy – Beautiful Filly by Oasis Dream) also carried out a successful raid on the continent from Britain when taking out the Dusseldorf Wempe (German 1,000 Guineas) (Gr 2, 1600m) at Dusseldorf on Sunday.
The Hugo Palmer-trained filly, who won the Maggie Dickson Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Musselburgh at her last start, ran on strongly under James Doyle to beat Peace In Motion (Hat Trick) by a length and three quarters in the €125,000 feature, with Arazza (Areion) a further neck behind in third place.
The progressive Unforgetable Filly is one of five stakes winners for Darley reverse shuttler Sepoy (Elusive Quality).
Older Horses
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Taareef (4 h Kitten’s Joy – Sacred Feather by Carson City) ran out a taking winner of the Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines (Gr 3, 1600m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Shadwell-raced four-year-old entire was making his seasonal debut having not been seen since winning the Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Gr 2, 1600m) at Chantilly last October, and he was always well positioned in behind the leader by Ioritz Mendizabal.
He quickened up in good style to lead at the 150 metres and had enough in hand to fend off the well backed favourite Zelzal (Sea The Stars) by a length and three quarters, with Siyoushake (Siyouni) a further half a length adrift in third.
Taareef was purchased by the Shadwell Estate Company for US$675,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2014 from the Lane’s End Farm draft.
At Cork on Sunday, the Coolmore-raced Santa Monica (4 f Mastercraftsman – Zacchera by Zamindar) ran out a shock winner of the Munster Oaks (Gr 3, 1m4f).
The filly, who had one won just one of her previous 15 career starts, was delivered in the final strides from off the pace under a strong ride from Billy Lee to beat Aidan O’Brien’s Butterflies (Galileo) by a neck, with the favourite Glamourous Approach (New Approach) a further length and a quarter behind in third.
The smart four-year-old Full Drago (4 c Pounced – Almata by Almutawakel) took out the Gran Premio di Milano (Gr 2, 2400m) second up at San Siro in Milan on Sunday.
The Stefano Botti-trained colt, who won the Premio Federico Tesio (Gr 2, 2200m) last year, has now won both of his starts this season having landed the Premio Carlo d’Alessio (Gr 3, 2400m) on 21 May.
He set steady fraction on the lead under Dario Vargiu and stretched clear in the home straight to beat the consistent Way To Paris (Champs Elysees) by a length and a quarter in the feature race, with the same distance back to Quelindo (Aussie Rules) in third place.
British raider Robin Of Navan (4 h American Post – Cloghran by Muhtathir) ran out a convincing winner of La Coupe (Gr 3, 2000m) at Chantilly on Saturday.
The Harry Dunlop-trained four-year-old entire, whose last victory came in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) as a two-year-old in November 2015, defeated Garlingari (Linngari) by half a length from with First Sitting (Dansili) was two lengths back in third.