20 August 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
August 20, 2022, Deauville-La Touques Racecourse (Calvados). – Five runners took the start of this Prix Daphnis (Gr3), five days after the fillies-only Prix de Lieurey (Gr3), whose winner Oscula (Galileo Gold) was going for a quick double. The favourite was nevertheless the unbeaten Facteur Cheval (Ribchester), winner of his four races to date for Team Valor and Gary Barber.
The race was led from the start by Oscula, true to her habit, along with the French Guineas second Texas (Wootton Bassett), while Facteur Cheval was held up last. Going off the bend, English raider Checkandchallenge (Fast Company) took the two leaders on and prevailed easily, holding a rather flat Facteur Cheval at one length. Oscula stayed on in third, also at one length.
Winner for his debut at 2 on all-weather, and also for his return this season on the same surface, Checkandchallenge finished penultimate then in the Two Thousand Guineas before taking second place in a handicap with a 108lbs rating. Since then, however, he failed again, finishing last in a Group 3 at Goodwood after a slow start...
The winner was bought £35,000 at Tattersalls as a yearling, and his younger brother by Tasleet reached £45,000 a year later at the same sales – the 2-year-old just started his career with a fifth place in a Maiden race run in July at Ascot. Their second dam Balalaika (Sadler's Wells), a Listed winner, is a full sister to Prince of Wales's Stakes (Gr1) winner Stagecraft (Sadler's Wells), whose dam Bella Colora (Bellypha) won the Prix de l’Opera (Gr2 at the time) in 1986.