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Yet nothing went according to plan in the €55,000 Prix Policeman (L – 3yo – 2,000mAW) for Chappet’s favourite Paris Vegas (Maria’s Mon). His rider Thierry Thulliez was instructed to sit behind the pack to make the best of the American-bred colt. As things turned out though, the jockey had to jump ahead of his 6 rivals to show the way on the backstretch.
The result did not change much as the grey Keeneland $45,000 purchase (click here for his catalogue page) easily held off Querry Boy (Equerry) to score by 1.5 length. “Nobody wanted to go out there and I figured I’d better take a strong hold rather than wait for trouble,” said the winning rider. “I then waited for attacks which never materialized and started early in the straight to avoid any hiccup. He then stayed on easily. I was pretty sure I was aboard the best horse in the race since I won with him last time out. It’s a proper Listed race and he made it without breaking sweat. We will have to check him on turf.”
As for Chappet, he was relieved : “It was not the plan but the class made a real difference here. This colt is in all the big races and we will enter the French Derby trail.”
Bought by Chappet for Serbian owner Aleksander Pavlovic, who took him in training home before realizing the horse had to much potential to remain in Serbia, Paris Vegas is now 2 out of 3. He sports the familiar colours worn by all weather champion of 2005 Billy Allen, winner of five runs out of six starts over the synthetics, including two on the Cagnes oval.
Second-placed Querry Boy had just won a prep race in front of another Chappet thing Kazzene and was beaten fair and square here. “He did his best and it wasn’t enough today,” said Ludovic Gadblin, assistant to breeder, owner and trainer Alex Pantall. “We had a good run (the horse galloped along Paris Vegas) but it was his fourth race of the meeting and he was not as fresh as the winner.”
As for the third-placed Ucandri (Refuse to Bend), trained at La Teste by Christophe Ferland, he pleased his trainer : “We rode him behind for him to learn a bit from this but the race wasn’t quick enough and we were bound to struggle in the end. He’s off to Saint-Cloud and the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault, on March 20th.”
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