13 March 2020
Photo Exbury 2019 : scoopdyga.com
Last year's winner of the Belmont Oaks Invitational in New York, Edisa (Kitten’s Joy) begins her 2020 season with a supplemented entry into the Prix Exbury (Gr3), on Sunday at Saint-Cloud. This is the first European Group race of the season on turf. The ground will probably be very heavy, as Saint-Cloud's re-opening was postponed for nine days to give the turf time to dry out a bit.
The Aga Khan homebred, trained by Alain de Royer Dupré, finished fifth in the Hong Kong Cup (Gr1) in her last outing at Sha Tin Racecourse. One of her best performances was made on this course, but over 2,400 meters (1m4f), when she finished second last year in the Prix de Malleret (Gr2).
The titleholder Soleil Marin (Kendargent) goes for a double here after his Chantilly all-weather victorious return after seven months off, almost like last year. Way To Paris (Champs Elysées) finished 5th in this race last year for his comeback. Owned by Paolo Ferrario, he is one of the best aged horses in France over distances 1m4f-plus, but he has already shown that he is able on the Prix Exbury's 10-furlongs trip, as he also finished second in this in 2018. Winner of Group 2 last year, he must carry 4lbs.
The other six runners' profiles are rather variable. Monty (Motivator) won three races last year at age 4. The Marseilles-based Pappalino (Makfi) finished second in the Prix Greffulhe (Gr2) on this course last year at 3 but failed to reappear after that. He's returned this winter to Cagnes-sur-Mer, then at Mont-de-Marsan. His trainer, Jérôme Reynier, also saddles Spirit of Nelson (Mount Nelson), winner of the Prix de Flore (Gr3) last October on this course, a performance which gives him a 2lbs penalty. The 7-year-old Libello (Archipenko) regularly competes in this type of events across the country.
In addition to Edisa, two 4-year-old fillies are also trying their luck here: Sharqi (Kitten's Joy), who has never raced at this level, and Simona (Siyouni), four times unplaced at Listed level at the end of last year but a very easy winner for her comeback. She races for Carolyn and Nigel Elwes and is trained in Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard.
Also on the card on Sunday, two Listed races launch the "classic" sequence. The Prix Omnium II (L) and La Camargo (L) are the male and female versions of the same 3-year race over 1,600 metres (1m).
Like all meetings scheduled since Friday, March 13, the races will take place behind closed doors.