The Flat The Jumps The Helping Frog Bloodstock Industry Weatherbys Frogwatch, by Rolf Johnson

Sunday Diane Report : Rouget signs another Classic exacta Sunday, 14 June 2009 15:12 Sunday, June 4th. American owner Martin Schwartz signed another winning ticket by buying Stacelita (Fr-Monsun) after her Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1-2,000mT) win. After French 1,000 Guineas winner Elusive Wave (Ire-Elusive Quality), purchased for €660,000 at the 2008 Arqana Arc Sale, Schwartz decided to buy his slot in the French Oaks, the €800,000 Prix de Diane (Gr1-2,100mT), with Stacelita. Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget proved him right as the filly hacked up to take the French Fillies Classic while his other representative, Tamazirte (Ire-Danehill Dancer), second four weeks earlier in the French 1,000 Guineas, kept the second place Sunday in front of the fast-finishing Plumania (Gb-Anabaa). "It is difficult for me to explain how I feel," said the Pau-based handler. "I was very confident before the Prix Saint-Alary but everything was different today. The ground was faster, the distance a bit longer... As for Tamazirte, she has got beaten twice by very good fillies whom I also trained. She's a very tough one too." Florida-based bloodstock agent Michel Zerolo (Oceanic Bloodstock) finalized the purchase of Stacelita two weeks ago and was also the final bidder on Coronation Stakes-bound Elusive Wave last October. Stacelita had the perfect trip behind the Wildensteins' pacemaker Onega Lake (Ire-Peintre Celebre) and took over early in the straight to leave the field behind and score by four lengths. Her stablemate Tamazirte came back from the rear of the field between foes and had to give her best to hold off another good finisher, Plumania (Gb-Anabaa). Co-owner of Tamazirte, French Defence Minister Herve Morin was on the racecourse and quite happy with the result. "We bought her for €40,000, the price we'd paid for (Champion Stakes-winner) Literato (Fr-Kendor), and I am thrilled. She's got her box booked in the stud farm I bought thanks to Literato. I was very confident as she was located here in box 27, which is my department" (The Eure in Normandy comes in 27th position alphabetically. Winning both the Derby and the Oaks in France in the same season is a feat that has not been repeated since Charles Elliott in 1956. It is the very first time none of the classics went the way of Parisian trainers. Jean-Claude Rouget is now all the rage in the French paddock. As for winning rider Christophe Lemaire, he's expecting a few phone calls before Royal Ascot as he plans to ride there as much as he can. Celimene went from last to fourth in the last two furlongs and her trainer, Carlos Lerner, was slightly upset, even though his son Yann was aboard the previously unbeaten filly. "We had a bad draw in 11 and Yann held her back as she was a bit too free early on," Lerner said. "She relaxed behind and finished well but the draw killed us." British raider Fantasia (Gb-Sadler's Wells) had her chance two out but failed to accelerate again while Board Meeting (Ire-Anabaa) only kept on going after a fine trip to finish fifth. Stacelita was bred by the French trotting living legend Jean-Pierre Dubois. Her dam Soignee (Ger-Dashing Blade) was purchased for €150,000 at the Baden-Baden yearling sales off the Von Ullmann consignment. She was second to Kirsten Rausing's Songerie (GB-Hernando) in the 2004 Prix des Reservoirs (Gr3-1,600mT) at two. Stacelita is her first foal. She's got a juvenile Footstepsinthesand filly not sold at €130,000 last August at the Arqana Yearling sales (click here for her catalogue page). Comments Nom * Email pour contrôle & Réponse URL Code    ChronoComments by Joomla Professional Solutions SEND EN COURS FINI ECHEC

Subscribe to the Wide-Mouth Frog alert system...It's free! Move Close Name: mail: