17 September 2023
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, September 16, 2023, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – A splendid and breathless race was this €80,000 Prix Eclipse (Gr3), won by the British raider Dawn Charger (Soldier's Call) ahead of another filly, Laulne (Starspangledbanner), coming from Normandy. The latter was still seventh 2 out, but she closed fast in between horses on the leader, who had been in front since midway. The filly covered the last 3 furlongs in 33.43 seconds. That was 8/10ths of a second faster than the winner, let alone the other runners, all slower than these two.
At the finish, the first two were separated by just a neck, while Mr Fleurant (Invincible Spirit), always well-positioned behind the leaders, finished third at two and a half lengths, on the same line as a gutsy Action Point (Blue Point), who had been working hard for some time.
Runner-up to Tiger Belle in the Prix d'Arenberg (Gr3), Dawn Charger was bred in Ireland by Jim Bolger, who sold her for £40,000 at Tattersalls to Karl and Kelly Burke. Last July, however, her three-year-old gelding brother was withdrawn from the Tattersalls sales.
While Haras d'Étreham bred the winner of the Prix de Condé (Gr3) on the same card as this Prix Eclipse, the breeding estate of the Chambure family appears further down in the pedigree, as the fifth dam is Maximova (Green Dancer), a Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed under the Étreham silks!