Champion
Japanese sire Deep Impact might have missed out on the Epsom Derby with his high
class Coolmore bred and owned colt Saxon Warrior, but was quick to make amends
in the French equivalent, the Group I Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, with progressive
colt Study of Man.
A homebred for the Niarchos family, Study of Man made it three wins from four
starts when he scored a half length win in the 2000m classic.
The victory provided his trainer Pascal Bary with his sixth winner of the race.
"Ever since he arrived in the yard he's been a fantastic horse because he
understands everything," said Bary.
"He does everything well and, everything we ask of him, he does just that
bit better than we expect. To train him is a dream."
The Group I Arc de Triomphe in October is under consideration for Study of Man,
with winning rider Stephane Pasquier believing the colt would be well suited at
the longer trip.
"I had to be a bit more aggressive than I'd have liked from the start because
it was quite a rough race," said Pasquier. "That's why I had to force
things more than in the Prix Greffulhe (his last start win).
"I think over 2,400 metres [a mile and a half] with a decent pace he could
be ridden more quietly, which would give him a better chance to produce that
acceleration of his."
Bred in the purple, Study of Man is the best of four winners from Second
Happiness, a half-sister by Storm Cat to Group I winners Kingmambo and East of
the Moon from the great champion Miesque.
This iconic family has already delivered classic success for the Niarchos
family this season with the Group I Irish Thousand Guineas won by Mastercraftsman
filly Alpha Centauri, a grand-daughter of Easter of the Moon.
The world's best breeders have been sending quality mares to Deep Impact in Japan
recent years and the exercise is achieving the desired results.
In Australia, Arrowfield Stud and partners have been active in pursuing Deep
Impact and have produced six Australian bred rising two year-olds, two of which
were sold at Inglis Easter this year.
Arrowfield Stud sold a filly from Group I winner Alverta for $1.1 million to
Chris Waller/ Mulcaster Bloodstock and another filly from Charming Estelle for
$1million to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Maktoum.
Six more Deep Impact foals were born in Australia last spring including a colt
from champion filly Miss Finland, four of them for Arrowfield and two for Waratah
Thoroughbreds.