Connolly’s RedMills Prix du Bois : Sounds like Royal Ascot

Saturday at 8:45 pm on the Chantilly straight course, two extremely talented juveniles seem to share the honours in the Connolly's RedMills Prix du Bois (Gr3), the first group race in France for the younger generation. On this same course, the French-trained Hurricane Ivor (Ivawood) made a splash for his debut. He won by over seven lengths in a canter. He was supposedly Ascot-bound at some stage but his French handler, the careful Fabrice Chappet, preferred to play at home. His big rival, Maven (American Pharoah), won for his debut as well but it was on the dirt of Aqueduct, New York, over 900 metres with a turn. Trained by the mighty rocket maker Wesley Ward in the United States, Maven won by a half-length but his trainer still thought he was good enough to go to Royal Ascot. Only the rain in Britain derailed that raid in time for him to turn his gaze towards the French shores.

The others have all been beaten, with the exception of the filly Kenlova (Kendargent), trained by Pascal Bary, who won well for her debut in May on this course.