20 May 2024
Photo scoopdyga.com
Monday, 20 May 2024, Saint-Cloud Racecourse (Hauts-de-Seine). – With a perfectly controlled front-running performance, the favourite Pensée du Jour (Camelot) claimed her first major victory in the 1m2½f Prix Corrida (Gr2), a race worth €140,000.
Now racing for Wertheimer & Frère, the filly bred by the Wildenstein family quickened decisively going into the home straight and kept Quatamera (Lope de Vega), who had tracked her throughout the race, at bay. Melo Melo (Gleneagles) was two lengths behind, narrowly holding on to third place from a fast-finishing Ardent (Frankel). Runner-up in last year’s Prix Vermeille (Gr1) and third in the Prix Gold River (L) on her seasonal debut, Melo Melo is expected to have another successful season, as are most of the runners in this quality field.
Pensée du Jour was also making her second start of the year, having finished second to American Sonja in the Prix Allez France Longines (Gr3) on her return. Last year, she won the Prix Pénélope (Gr3) in impressive style but struggled to perform at the highest level in the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1) and the Prix Vermeille (Gr1), though she did secure fourth place in the Prix de la Nonette – Alec Head (Gr2) in between.
Bred by Dayton Investments, Pensée du Jour is out of Painter’s Pride (Dansili), who never raced but has proven her worth as a broodmare. All three of her first runners have won, including Canvassed (Shamardal), who distinguished herself at group level in Dubai after being entered in the Irish Oaks.
The other foal, Peinture Secrète (Lope de Vega), has been sold for £600,000, at 5, in foal to Camelot last December at Tattersalls Sceptre Session to Chantilly Bloodstock Agency (Gérard Larrieu). The resulting colt was born this season at the Haras de la Perelle.
Peinture Bleue (Alydar), the second dam, was a solid staying mare who won the Prix Charles Laffitte (L) and the Belmont Long Island Handicap (Gr2, 1m4f). She is the dam of the champion Peintre Célèbre (Nureyev), among others, winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1). Peinture Bleue is also the fourth dam of Jet Dark (Trippi), a five-time Gr1 winner in South Africa and four-time champion in his category in that country. He began his stud career in 2023 at Drakenstein Stud. This is the illustrious "P" line of the Wildenstein breeding operation.