2 June 2024
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, June 2, 2024, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – Leading from the start of the €130,000 Grand Prix de Chantilly (Gr2), a race for aged horses over 1m4f, the British contender Al Qareem (Awlaad) set a fairly moderate pace early on, flanked by the favourite, the globetrotting Junko (Intello). Patiently trailing them were the stablemates Marquisat (Zarak) and Galashiels (Australia), ahead of the outsider Just Light (Hunter’s Light), Dubai Honour (Pride of Dubai), and Goliath (Adlerflug), a bit keen in last.
In the turn, Al Qareem gradually increased the pace, while Junko positioned himself right behind him.
Junko made his move going up the hill and soon took a clear lead over a weakening Al Qareem, while Marquisat started to move forward on the outside. In the final stages, Junko faced an increasingly strong challenge from Marquisat, managing to hold on by a nose at the finish line.
A strong finisher, Dubai Honour crossed the line in third place ahead of Goliath, whose late run was also noteworthy. Al Qareem and Galashiels finished a little further back.
A dual Group 1 winner over 1m1/2 as a 4-year-old, winning on the Münich track in November 2023 and then at Sha Tin (Hong Kong) in December, Junko was coming off a disappointing run in the Sheema Classic (Gr1) in Dubai, where he only trailed the field.
Wertheimer & Frère acquired his dam, the Group 3-placed US runner Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer), a sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Optimizer (English Channel), sold in foal to War Front for $2,350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton breeding stock sales in 2016.
Since then, she has given a gelded son by Frankel, now 4 years old, who finished sixth over 1m4f at Saint-Cloud in his only outing before being sold for €38,000 to John Daniel Moore at the Arqana summer sales. He has since failed twice over hurdles.
A War Front filly, purchased at the same time as her dam Lady Zuzu, won a race and was first sold by Wertheimer & Frère, then by Haras d’Étreham in December 2021 at Tattersalls, in foal to Persian King, for £115,000 to Chantilly Bloodstock Agency (Gérard Larrieu). A filly was born in 2022, followed by her full sister in 2023. Both are bred by Haras d’Étreham.