25 August 2024
Photo scoopdyga.com
Deauville, Sunday, August 25th, 2024 – The Lucien Barrière Grand Prix de Deauville (Gr2), the final major race of the Deauville meeting for 3-year-olds and upwards over a mile and a half, saw the British raider Arrest (Frankel) installed as the solid favourite. As expected, he immediately went to the front, leading the field until the entrance of the straight, where he attempted to break away from his rivals.
For a moment, it appeared that his bold move would succeed. However, the German contender Quantanamera (Lope de Vega), who had patiently tracked the leaders, relentlessly closed the gap and swept past Arrest in the final furlong to secure a convincing four-length victory.
Caught flat-footed in the closing stages, Sacred Spirit (Kingman) claimed third place, three lengths further adrift.
The winner, supplemented for this €200,000 contest and fifth in the German Oaks (Gr2) last season, had finished second in the Prix Corrida (Gr2) on soft ground earlier this year over 1 mile 2 1/2 furlongs. She had recently placed fourth twice in Group 3 races in Germany, both over shorter distances than today's trip.
The filly was sold as a yearling for €200,000 at Baden-Baden by her breeder, Gestüt Fahrhof. She is out of Quaduna (Duke of Marmalade), a Group 3 winner.
Post-Race Reactions
Andreas Suborics - trainer of Quantanamera (1st) - Cologne (Germany)
"She's impressive. This is a racecourse she particularly enjoys. The ground was ideal for her, too. But the step up in trip - from 1m2f to 1m4f - was decisive today. That's the key to her victory. Stéphane Pasquier rode the perfect race. She beat a good field, representing a strong performance for the future. We're heading to Ascot for the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) on October 19th. At 2, she was impressive, but the following year, she had health problems. So, we had difficulties getting her fully fit throughout her 3-year-old season. But in 2024, she made a good comeback in the Prix Corrida (Group 2), finishing second. She then had an infection, which led to a below-par performance in Cologne. She finished fourth last time out in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis - Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (Group 1), but the 1m2f distance was too short."
Claude Beniada - French representative for Juddmonte, owner of Arrest (2nd)
"He likes soft ground and going to the front. His rider rode him well, and the winner has the right to be good."
Pierre-Yves Bureau - representative of Wertheimer & Frère, owner of Sacred Spirit (3rd)
"He ran well. There's not much to say; good horses beat him. He won his Listed race, placed in the prep race, and was third today. He's, above all, very consistent. We'll think about what's next, but he may go to the United States, where his brother, Soldier Rising, has a successful career. We'll explore that possibility."