16 August 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, August 16, 2020, Deauville. - Easy and very popular victory for Marseille's Tiger Tanaka (Clodovil) in the Prix François Boutin (Gr3), ridden by Jessica Marcialis, wife of trainer Charley Rossi, for the owner Miguel Castro Megias.
In addition to the rarity of wins at this level for women jockeys in France, it is also the background of the winner which gives this event a special flavour. The filly was purchased after her first race, a victory in a claimer at Lyon-Parilly, where she was claimed € 23,789 by her current owner. She ran and won twice again in this category before winning a Class 2 race, then taking a heroic second place in the Darley Prix Robert Papin (Gr2), where she nearly beat the English raider Ventura Tormenta on the distance of her debut.
This time, she took over from Jimmy Sparks (Zoffany) and Sledge Hammer (Pastorius), who started to give in two furlongs out, then kept the favourite Unveil (Showcasing) at bay, wearing her down as she lost the second place to fast finisher La Gioiosa (Myboycharlie), second at two lengths and trained by the brother of the winning rider, Andrea Marcialis.
Tiger Tanaka was first bought at Irish sales by French bloodstock agent Pascale Ménard for € 6,500. She is the first foal out of the Wolverhampton all-weather winner Miss Phillyjinks (Zoffany).