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Thursday, June 17th - Nantes. Back from his successful debut in Britain, wednesday aboard Byword in the Prince of Wales’s, rising star Maxime Guyon proved just as efficient near his home county with Marceti (Ire-Verglas) in the €55,000 Derby de l’Ouest (L – 2,400m). Ridden very aggressively, the 3yo gelding scored for the third time and by a nose over the favourite Empire Levant (Usa-Empire Maker), unbeaten in his three previous starts.
After Frenchbred Equiano’s win in the King Stand’s at Royal Ascot, it is another graded victory for breeder Skymarc Farm. Western trainer Etienne Leenders bought the gelding as a yearling for €10,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale in Deauville (click here for catalogue page) from Haras de la Louvière. He is out of the winning Aga Khan mare Darasa (Fr - Barathea), bought €160,000 by Supriné for Chryss O’Reilly at the same venue. Marceti is a brother to 3-times winner Darjani (Ire - Domedriver), who is in training with Sandrine Tarrou. Darasa is also a sister to French Derby winner Darsi (Polish Precedent).

In the €25,000 Grand Prix des AQPS (AQPS only 2,400m), the heavy favourite Royal d’Arc (Fr-Aqps, Le Triton) easily prevailed to win by 2,5 lengths. Twice a winner and a Listed placed at Auteuil, Royal d’Arc won his sixth flat race and was second to Quisful Tercah (Fr-Aqps, Useful) in last year’s Prix de Craon at Longchamp, the AQPS’ Arc. He’s trained by the shrewd Eric Leray
Royal d'Arc was bred by the Terriere family’s SCEA Le Fragneau, in Charente-Maritime, a three dams-strong breeding operation which only deals with Leray. His dam Lextrienne (Neustrien) is a half sister of Pandolphe (Passing Sale), fifth in the 2009 Grand Steeple.
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