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Tuesday 29th June 2010, Compiegne. (www.jourdegalop.com) Among the fifteen races in the Défi du Galop series, the €60,000 Grand Prix de Compiègne (L- 4yos+ -2,000m) is rated as one of the best. The surprise winner of this race was the German horse Budai (Dai Jin), who had only run on one previous occasion in France. “His connections have thought for a long time that he is a Listed horse and I think that he can step up in class again”, commented winning jockey, Dominique Boeuf. “I know that he is better on softer ground.” Budai is trained by Waldemar Hickst, who is on of the top trainers in Germany. If he comes out of his race well his entourage may soon be planning a step up to Group class for him, possibly in the Prix Gontaut-Biron, at Deauville.
Budai fought off good horses in the final stages including Superstition (Kutub), second in the Prix Allez France (Gr3). Held up at the back of the field, Superstition finished strongly up the middle of the track to take second place, one and a half lengths behind the winner. His trainer, Alain de Royer Dupré, said afterwards: “On this track we unfortunately have to rely on where we are drawn.” Superstition was drawn on the outside in the stalls and also didn’t have the best of runs.
Placed second in the Prix Nelcius (B) behind Three Bodies (Domedriver), Via Col Vento (Friends Lake) was placed once again when taking third place a further neck behind. A winner after a long absence in the Prix Nelcius, Three Bodies couldn’t follow up that performance in this Grand Prix de Compiègne and had to be content with fifth place.
Haras de Compiegne – Tally Ho charges to victory
Once again this year, it was a colt that had previously run in an AFASEC race (an unofficial training race for inexperienced young apprentices) who won a race for unraced horses. This time it was Tally Ho (Street Cry), running for André Fabre in the colours of Sheikh Mohamed, who won the €20,000 Prix du Haras de Compiègne (Unraced 3yos-1,800m). After making up ground on the far side, he took charge of the race and fought off attacks from Karat (Areion), the only runner capable of posing any threat to the winner. But it was never a serious threat and Tally Ho went on to win by half a length.
The much anticipated Vieux Maisons (Danehill Dancer), a daughter of Verveine (Lear Fan – winner of the Prix de l'Opéra, third in the Prix de Diane), did not run well. She never accelerated and flattened in the last 250 metres of the race to an eventual tenth.
Bred by Jean-Claude Séroul at the Haras du Cadran Tally Ho is out of Bashful (Brief Truce), winner of the Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles (L) before being placed in multiple Listeds and Gr3s over 1,400m and a mile. He was purchased by John Ferguson at Tattersalls in 2007 for €110,000 when presented by the Castlebridge Consignment (click here for catalogue page).
Laonnois – Ensaya successful on French soil
Christophe Lemaire returned to the winners enclosure in the famous Aga Khan colours after the success of Ensaya (Alhaarth) in the €24,000 Prix du Laonnois (3yos-2.400m) for trainer Mikel Delzangles. The winning filly beat Elie Lellouche’s colt Jo All The Way (Gold Away) by two lengths with Bridge of Peace (Anabaa) a further three quarters of a length back in third. This was a first victory for Ensaya whos was placed on her last two starts, both over the shorter distance of 2,100 metres, since her arrival from Ireland where she was trained by John Oxx in 2009. She is out of the Aga Kahn mare Ebatana (Rainbow Quest) who never won on her 4 starts but was always in the money. Ebatana has also produced Ebadiyan (Daylami), who is a three time winner over hurdles in Ireland including a Listed and a Grade 3.
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