Pedigree Watch – French Classics – More Upsets

Tara Madgwick - Monday May 13

In a Euro classic season where nothing is turning out as planned there were more upsets overnight at Longchamp with the running of the French Guineas races and again the favourites never got a look in.

The Group I Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1600m) for the colts saw the Aidan O’Brien trained unbeaten Dubawi colt Henry Longfellow sent off as favourite but he could finish only eighth of 13 with victory going to Zarak colt Metropolitan.

Trained by Mario Baratti and ridden by Alex Puchin, Metropolitan won his only two starts last year and resumed with a fifth in a Group III race last month, improving sharply to score a half length win on a track that received a dumping of rain through a storm just before they jumped.

 

Advertisement

"He is a magnificent-looking horse and I think he will continue to get better with age," said Baratti. "Being drawn in stall one was a gift from above. I don’t really want to stretch him out, and although he’s not entered in the St James’s Palace, we could look at supplementing him."

Purchased for €78,000 from the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, Metropolitan is the second winner from Alianza, an unraced Halling mare from the family of Group winners Tiger Ride and Warm Heart.

He is the 19th stakes-winner for Dubawi’s French bred Group I winning son Zarak and is his third Group I winner. Zarak is a young sire on the up running at 10.3% SW to runner and he stands at Haras de Bonneval at a fee of €60,000.

 

The Group I Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1600m) for the fillies was won by an Aga Khan homebred Lope de Vega filly in Rouhiya, who was having her first try in a Black Type race.

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Maxime Guyan, she had a win and a placing last season and was third when making her seasonal return at Longchamp last month, she rose to the challenge of this tougher assignment. With the Sangster family colours on Kathmandu (Showcasing)  looking certain for victory, Rouhiya dived through late between runners to snatch a narrow victory.

 

“We weren't well drawn, but Maxime got a good position very easily and latched onto the back of the Godolphin horse (Romantic Style), and then I thought we had an obvious chance. I thought coming in we were in business, Maxime waited a while but Rouhiya really picked up well. The ground made a huge difference and she had come on loads for her prep run,” Graffard said.

Rouhiya is the second winner from stakes-placed Raven’s Pass mare Rondonia, a half-sister to Group II winner Raydara from stakes-winner Raydiya.

She is the 128th stakes-winner for Lope de Vega and is his 20th Group I winner. Lope de Vega stands at Ballylinch Stud at a fee of €125,000 and did shuttle to Australia in the early years of his career for Patinack Farm. He runs at 10.1% SW to runner.

 

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Bellatrix Star May Back Up in G1 Champions Sprint
Te Akau and Fortuna Racing’s filly Bellatrix Star proved she is among Australia’s top sprinting three-year-olds last Saturday at Flemington, finishing second in the A$2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
Two heats at the Rosehill trials on Monday morning over 900m and the quickest of those was won by an expensive son of Golden Slipper winning first season sire Farnan.
Will it be a fairytale finish for Tasmanian-bred mare The Map?
Fresh from sweeping the sire awards at the 2024 Tasmanian Racing Awards this season, the Armidale Stud team is in line for another significant achievement with The Map (Alpine Eagle x This Moment) flying the flag for resident stallion Alpine Eagle in the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 5 November.
Zoustar 6YO Stepping up to 2000m
Pre-post favourite Habana will head into unfamiliar territory at Ellerslie, but there is confidence in his camp that it will be a smooth transition.
Te Akau Chasing Another Cup Day Success
Last year’s Melbourne Cup Day concluded in success for Mark Walker in the Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m), a race he will chase back-to-back crowns in on Tuesday with Kiwi mare Quintessa.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Grey Targets Subzero on Cup Day
The Subzero Handicap (1400m), a race solely for registered grey thoroughbreds, has proven to be a fan favourite at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, and this year, Kiwis will have their own grey to barrack for.
2YOs at Flemington - G3 Maribyrnong Plate Sale Mail
Juvenile racing will kick off Melbourne Cup day on Tuesday with an early start at 10.45am for the Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) with nine colts and four fillies engaged.
Kiwi Mare Positivity Ready for Cup
Talented Kiwi mare Positivity will step out on the greatest stage for stayers at Flemington on Tuesday, when she contests the A$8 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.