23 October 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Unbeaten in four outings and particularly impressive when winning the 1m1f Prix de Condé (Gr3), the Aga Khan homebred Malakoun (Bated Breath) gives the feeling of being able to aim higher now. And further, too, which is why the 1m2f trip of the Critérium de Saint-Cloud (Gr1) was chosen by his trainer Jean-Claude Rouget for this final outing of the season.
One flaw in his shining armour, though: Anasia, whom he beat by five lengths at Chantilly, was literally non-existent in the Prix des Reservoirs last Thursday at Deauville.
The handicappers judged in any case that this performance of Malakoun was 2lbs better than that of Tiger Tanaka (Clodovil) in the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1). However, the filly has a weight for sex allowance of three pounds. So, in theory, she's one pound better off than her rival ...
That said, they are seven at the start after the withdrawal of the English raider Belloccio, and the solution of this equation can always lie elsewhere, in particular with Aidan O'Brien's Bolshoi Ballet (Galileo), Mark Johnston York Group 3 winner Gear Up (Teofilo), or the mandatory Godolphin/Fabre charge Botanik (Golden Horn), and a German raider, Best of Lips (The Gurkha), who was awarded a higher rating than that of Tiger Tanaka when winning a Cologne Gr3 last time out, while the astute trainer Francis Graffard supplemented the unexposed Sweet Lady (Lope de Vega) to complete the line-up ...
- 1. MAKALOUN (c2, FRA by Bated Breath and Makana, by Dalakhani) Weight: 9-0 / Rating: 112lbs
Trained in Deauville by Jean-Claude Rouget, bred by his owner, he is undefeated in four outings and won very easily, by five lengths, his first Group, the Prix de Condé (Gr3), over 1m1f at Chantilly. It might have been a much more affordable bundle than this one, but there was a certain flair to the success.
- 2. BELLOCIO (Non-runner)
- 3. BOTANIK (c2, IRE by Golden Horn and Autumn Lily, by Street Cry) Weight: 9-0 / Rating: 100lbs
Trained in Chantilly by André Fabre, bred by his owners, he failed twice at Deauville in August before gaining his first success, recently and in leading the whole race, over one mile at Saint-Cloud.
- 4. BOLSHOI BALLET (c2, IRE by Galileo and Alta Anna, by Anabaa) Weight: 9-0 / Rating: -
Trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, a good third on his Newmarket debut in the rain, he won very easily with the lead at Leopardstown. Who knows what he's up to?
- 5. BEST OF LIPS (c2, IRE by The Gurkha and Beata, by Silver Frost) Weight: 9-0 / Rating: 111lbs
Trained in Germany by Andreas Suborics, bought £ 90,000 at the Newmarket sales, he won his last two races by more than three lengths, including a Group 3 most recently in Cologne.
- 6. GEAR UP (c2, IRE by Teofilo and Gearanai, by Toccet) Weight: 9-0 / Rating: 105lbs
Trained in England by Mark Johnston, bought € 52,000 at the Irish sales, he won his maiden race, then the Acomb Stakes (Gr3) at York before taking fourth place in the Royal Lodge Stakes (Gr2) over one mile at Newmarket.
- 7. TIGER TANAKA (f2, IRE by Clodovil and Miss Phillyjinks, by Zoffany) Weight: 55.5kg / Rating: 110lbs
Trained in Provence by Charley Rossi, bought € 6,500 at the Irish sales, she won the Prix François Boutin (Gr3) this summer in Deauville, then the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1) on the Arc weekend, showing she was far from done as the going went softer and the season longer.