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Saturday, June 19th – Royal Ascot. Obviously, the Frogs are not in a position to trumpet their greatness as the National football Dirty Dozen (including the coach) has cast a cloud of shame upon the whole country. However, as racegoers were vacating the spectacular Ascot racecourse to lick their wounds, the meagre French horseracing team was happily driving home with lots to celebrate and much to look forward to.
If Goldikova and Byword were the only French-trained winners of the Royal week –both in Gr1s though-, there has been many other good news for French racing and breeding.
The two gallant winners of the Queen Anne and the Prince of Wales’s could meet again come August on the Prix Jacques le Marois-Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard straight mile. The best 3yo miler in Britain and Ireland since he added the St James’s Palace Stakes to his Gr1 tally, Canford Cliffs could also join the Deauville stellar casting. The French winner of the Two Thousand Guineas Makfi was disappointing in the St James’s but it transpired that he was suffering from a throat infection (Windsor Forest unplaced Sahpresa was also unwell as her trainer Rodolphe Collet revealed that her blood count was bad on the next day). Mikel Delzangles has plenty of time to get Makfi right again for the Marois. Siyouni finished fourth and was unlucky in running but hope remains that he can prove himself in such company by the end of the season. The second-placed Dick Turpin confirmed his Two Thousand Guineas and Poule d’Essai position as the barometer of his generation over the European mile, which makes the French Guineas and French Derby winner Lope de Vega –another Marois contender- one to fear in the Summer French Mile championship. On the contrary, the Epsom Derby form failed to stand as the runner-up from there, At First Sight, was only fourth in the Royal Ascot ‘Derby’ the King Edward VII.
Equiano became one of the very few French-bred winners of the King’s Stand’s Stakes -2003 winner Chineur was the only recent one- and was sold €26,000 as a weanling by Arqana to French agent FIPS. The Deauville sales was also supported by Age of Aquarius’s second place in a thrilling Gold Cup as the Coolmore representative was sold to Demi O’Byrne for €1.4m in August 2007. The Berend Van Dalfsen-bred, Etreham-consigned colt could become a prime recruit for the stayers’ European circuit.
Hibaayeb’s win in the Ribblesdale Stakes also works well for the French Oaks’ form as the Godolphin filly was well beaten by Prix de Diane winner Sarafina in the Prix Saint-Alary.
Another helpful result to the Frogs’ good fortune is the improving Lillie Langtry’s victory over Gile Na Greine (2nd), Jacqueline Quest (3rd) and Music Show (4th) in the Coronation Stakes. Even though the French-trained Italian One Thousand Guineas winner Evading Tempete only stayed on in fifth on a course slightly too soft course for her liking, Special Duty’s One Thousand Guineas form stands here and it will be interesting to see French champion 3yo female miler take these on again in the Falmouth at the Newmarket July meeting.
Amico Fritz’s 5th place in the Golden Jubilee was also much appreciated as the Alex Pantall-trained Germanbred 4yo was only a handicapper at the beginning of the season. He could now be aimed at the Goldene Peitsche, the German Sprint Championship. Marchand d’Or was unlucky in running in the Golden Jubilee but his rider Davy Bonilla was pleased enough with the grey gelding’s behaviour while Varenar proved himself in such company as he took the lead of the far side field one out and should be able to sustain a longer effort with more tests on the distance. Anyway, three good sprinters at the same time in training in France is a rather new thing and the Frogs could enjoy more speed fun in the next months.
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