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Wednesday 21st July 2010, Vichy. (www.jourdegalop.com) As always the €80,000 Grand Prix de Vichy Auvergne (Gr3-3yos+ -2,000m) was of a very high level and it featured an easy win by Agent Secret (Pyrus). Eight lengths was the official winning distance by which François Rohaut’s charge beat Pont des Arts (Kingsalsa). Torrential rain flooded the racecourse from 8pm on, to the misfortune of Court Canibal (Montjeu) and Russian Cross (Cape Cross).
François Rohaut was clearly delighted to win this Group 3 for the first time; “This is like a dream come true. It is the first time I’ve won the Grand Prix de Vichy. When I was young I used to come here to see the Grand Prix. My parents live close by in Vichy and they are here to witness this great moment”. This success has firmly installed him at the top of the trainers’ table in the Défi du Galop challenge, with 28 points and four wins.
Once Agent Secret made his move nobody could get close to him in the last 250 metres of the race. Pont de Arts took second place a neck ahead of Tip Toe (Footstepsinthesand). In winning, Agent Secret realised a rare double, the Grand Prix de Lyon (L) and the Grand Prix de Vichy.
Bred by J.N. Hutchinson, Agent Secret is the brother of Imperial Secret (Imperial Ballet), who started his career in the same colours, those of Raoul Temam, when winning a big handicap at Clairefontaine. When trained by Richard Chotard he won the Grande Course de Haies de Cagnes (L) over hurdles in 2008 and finished third in a Group 1 hurdle in Rome. Their dam, Ron’s Secret (Efisio), won three handicaps in England. Agent Secret was bought back by Francois Rohaut at the Arqana Horses in Training Sale, at Saint Cloud in October 2009, for €145,000 (click here for catalogue page). Whereas Pont des Arts was bought by Ronald Caget as a yearling for the much smaller sum of €9,000, at the Arqana October Yearling Sales in 2005, (click here for catalogue page).
Reves d’Or – Marlinka rockets homes
“She is a real little rocket”, exclaimed Ioritz after winning the €55,000 Prix des Rêves d'Or – Jacques Bouchara (L-2yos-1,000m), with Marlinka (Marju). “She was so fast over the first 400 metres that I was afraid that she would have nothing more to give”, he continued. “I would like to see the race time as we went very fast. She took a breath after 500 metres and picked up again. I think she will be even better on faster ground.”
Marlinka made a strong impression on this soft ground; she was so fast away at the start that it looked as if hers was the only stall to have opened. At the halfway mark she was the only runner still going easily while the rest of her rivals were being pushed along. She eventually came home three quarters of a length ahead of Boccalino (Iron Mask), the only colt in the race, with Bulliciosa (Successful Appeal) finishing fast to take third place a further half length behind.
As for the winner; “She is the best two year old that we have in the yard” declared Geordie Thompson, assistant to Roger Charlton. “
She has a lot of speed. We were a bit worried by the rain but in the end it was still quite firm underneath as it had not soaked in.”
Normally this race is run on the stands’ side but the jockeys made a request to move the stalls before the race due to the bad state of the track. In the end the problem was resolved as all the runners came up the middle of the track.
Marlinka is owned by Elite Racing Club, which has an amazing 12,000 members. The group also owned Marlinka’s aunt the champion miler Soviet Song (Marju), winner of 5 Group 1s, including the Falmouth Stakes twice, the Sussex Stakes and the Matron Stakes (Grs1). Marlinka is a daughter of Baralinka (Barathea), who won four times for Paul Cole.
Union des AQPS du Centre Est – Another success for Roseau de Loire
The €25,000 Prix de l'Union des AQPS du Centre-Est (4 and 5yo AQPS horses-2,400m) was won by Roseau de Loire (SF-Smadoun) in the hands of Franck Blondel. Six lengths back in second was the Magalen Bryant owned Sultane Moriviere (AQPS-Califet) with Rebecca de Thaix (SF-Lavirco) a further two and a half lengths behind in third.
Roseau de Loire (SF-Smadoun) has achieved three wins and five places from his eight career starts, all of which have been on the flat over distances of 2,300 to 2,450 metres. He is out of Gribiche (SF-Montorselli) who won four races when also trained by Eric Vagne.
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