French maiden winners Weekly (Oct.23-29)

FLAT

DRUMMORE (C2), IRE by Dubawi ex Rahiyah (Rahy)
Prix du Buisson Creux (2C&G maiden, 1,300m Fibresand), October 23, Chantilly

Owner : Godolphin
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Godolphin
Rider : Mickaël Barzalona

Second to subsequent Critérium des Ventes d’octobre Arqana winner Dice Roll in July, Drummore (Dubawi) did not run again for about three months. After a come back that seemed rather disappointing (4^th) at Chantilly, he avenged himself in style for his first tilt at the Fibresand track. However he ran a bit green as he veered to his right when he passed the leading The Lamplighter (Elusive City) about two furlongs out, and again when Mickaël Barzalona tried to keep him straight with his whip. Once well balanced, he went on nicely and kept two lengths on a fast finishing The Gates of Dawn (Iffraaj), who was giving his best so far after two failed attempts.

Bred by Godolphin, Drummore was not sold but his three parts 3yo brother Poet’s Society (Poet’s Voice), a winner of five races, is expected at the Tattersalls November sale. His dam and Drummore's Rahiyah (Rahy) won once but was third in the French One Thousand Guineas (Gr1) won by Darjina… She gave five winners at stud including Decathlète (Medaglia d’Oro), 2nd in the Prix La Rochette (Gr3) for hist 2nd race but disappointing afterwards, and exported to Dubaï.

Drummore's 3rd dam is Golden Opinion (Slew O’Gold), Champion 3yo filly of 1989 in Europe, when she won the Coronation Stakes (Gr1).

GHERYAF (F2), (IRE) by Invincible Spirit ex Mrs Dubawi (Dubawi)
Prix des Brisées (2F maiden, 1,300m Fibresand), October 23, Chantilly

Owner : Al Shaqab Racing
Trainer : François Rohaut
Breeder : Gérard Laboureau
Rider : Gregory Benoist

Bought for €240,000 at the Deauville Arqana Yearlings sale, Gheryaf (Invincible Spirit) missed her debut at Bordeaux, when 10th after failing to stay outside the leading pack over the mile. This time however, for the first time on the Fibresand track, she completely overwhelmed her opponents in the last two furlongs or so.

She's the first foal out of Mrs Dubawi (Dubawi), a winner of three races and a daughter of Lucky Lune (Priolo), a Prix Urban Sea (L) winner at the Lion d’Angers. Nonsuch Way (Verglas), a sister to Lucky Lune, was 3rd in the Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1) won by Wavering in 2011 for owner Gérard Augustin-Normand and trainer Fabrice Vermeulen.

SARACENE (F2), (IRE) by Dubawi ex Samba Brazil (Teofilo)
Prix Douve (Unraced 2F, 1,600m Turf), October 25, Saint-Cloud

Owner : Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Al Shahania Stud
Rider : Pierre-Charles Boudot

Saracène (Dubawi) did not have a clear run early in this 17-strong field of debutantes and Pierre-Charles Boudot had to keep quiet bacwards until the last straight. He put her in the middle of the track as the whole field fanned throughout and came back to the fore step by step, in a workmanlike but very efficient way, keeping half a length over Shahnaza (Azamour), who ran pretty much the same race, and the leading Eclipse Intime (George Vancouver), an other half length back.

Saracène was bred by Al Shahania Stud in Ireland, the breeding operation founded by sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani, from Qatar. She's the first foal out of Samba Brazil (Teofilo), a Group 3 winner in Germany, and a sister to Seismos (Dalakhani), a Group 1 winner in Germany, and a Group 3 winner at Newbury for trainer Marco Botti, also 2nd to Novellist in the Grosser Preis von Baden (Gr1) in 2013, and a sister to Soberania (Monsun), second in the German Oaks (Gr1).

The last three sisters to Samba Brazil were consignd at Arqana yearling sales and reached successively €1,2m (Teofilo), €600,000 (Frankel) and €400,000 (Galileo)… Their dam Sasuela (Dashing Blade) is a sister to the great German horses Schiaparelli (Monsun), Samum (Monsun), Salve Regina (Monsun), or Sanwa (Monsun), unraced but dam of German Derby (Gr1) winner Sea the Moon (Sea the Stars)…

After Saracene, Samba Brazil gave two colts by Sea the Stars.

INTELLOGENT (C2), (IRE) by Intello ex Nuit Polaire (Kheleyf)
Prix Antivari (Unraced 2C&G, 1,600m Turf), October 25, Saint-Cloud

Owner : Fiona Jean Carmichael
Trainer : Fabrice Chappet
Breeder : Écurie des Monceaux
Rider : Pierre-Charles Boudot

Two youngsters left their six rivals 12 lentghs behind as Intellogent (Intello) and Mind Mapping (Medaglia d’Oro) struggled all the way to the post, with the former just edging is rival on the finish line. Godolphin's Mind Mapping seemed to handle the fight most of the time but Intellogent simply never let go.

Intellogent is the 4th winner from Intello (Galileo)'s first crop this season in France. His family is doing well at the moment since his 3yo older sister Lightupthenight (Dutch Art), sold €450,000 in Deauville, was 3rd last Summer in the Prix Amandine (L). Intellogent had been sold €320,000 last year to Amanda Skiffington. However their brother by Excelebration merely did 30.000 € last August, when purchased by Scottish trainer Mark Johnston.

A filly by Gleneagles was born this year.

Nuit Polaire (Kheleyf), their dam, won once at 3 in Deauville for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, but never won again. She had costed €100,000 as a yearling at the Deauville sales. She's a sister to Oaks d'Italia winner Night of Magic (Peintre Célèbre), dam of Nightflower (Dylan Thomas), a champion in Germany where she won two Group 1 races, and finished twice second in the Grosser Preis von Baden (Gr1) behind Iquitos and Prince Gibraltar…

Another very lively German family managed by Écurie des Monceaux…

MANCHESTER CITY (C2), GER by Approve ex Maxima (Platini)
Prix Caro (2C&G maiden, 1,600m Turf), October 26, Maisons-Laffitte

Owner : Maren Hennig
Trainer : Sacha Smrczek
Breeder : Gestüt Harzburg
Rider : Theo Bachelot

Third to Godolphin's Dream Warrior and Corsen, beating Drummore (read above) for his debuts in France, at Chantilly, Manchester City (Approve) had run three times in Germany before. Back in France, tackling the mile for the first time, the Sacha Smrczek-trained colt was kept behind by Theo bachelot and stuck to the rail rzgardless of whatever was happening in front of him. That was a bold move since the field quietly gave way on the stands' side, so Manchester City could make his move without any hint of interference. He went on convincingly, without real threat nearby, and beat one of the race's leaders Indyco (Rio de la Plata) by over a length!

Manchester City wasn't taken to the sale ring but his brother Maximilan (Adlerflug) did and he made €12,000 as a yearling in October at the Baden sales. His family is very prolific but it's only under the 4th dam that a group performer can be found. Manchester City is the first foal out of the quadruple winner Maxima (Platini).

SEA PROSE (F2), FRA by Lope de Vega ex Calaseta (Montjeu)
Prix Hermières (2F maiden, 1,600m Turf), October 26, Maisons-Laffitte

Owner : Roy Racing Ltd
Trainer : Freddy Head
Breeder : Écurie La Boëtie
Rider : Aurélien Lemaître

Sea Prose (Lope de Vega) finished well for her first outing but she'd been kept too far back after an interference early on. THis time, she took the lead, held off Victorine (Le Havre) and went on to accelerate again and score on the bit by two and a half lengths!

Nice display by a filly purchased €115,000 at the Arqana August sale by Crispin de Moubray for Roy Racing Ltd.

Sea Prose is out of Calasetta (Montjeu), winner on the flat and over hurdles at Cagnes. She's her 3rd foal –a 3yo Whipper gelding is in training with Éric Libaud but hasn't won yet- and her older brother Fortunique (Soldier of Fortune) won 4 times.

Calasetta's dam Mahalia (Danehill) won the Prix Imprudence (L) at Evry, but her trainer Criquette Head-Maarek only tried her in Group 3s and Listed races, without success.

At stud, Mahalia gave Albisola (Montjeu), hence a full sister to Calasetta, winner of the Prix de Flore (Gr3). Mahalia is also the 2nd dam of Ectot and Chartreuse (Lawman), a Listed-winner placed last Summer in the Prix Chloë (Gr3) and Lieurey (Gr3).

Calasetta also has a yearling colt by Kendargent.

JUMPS

EOLINE JOLIE (F3), FRA by No Risk At All ex Jolie Catty (Mansonnien)
Prix Beaurepaire Hurdle (Unraced 3F, 3,600m), October 24, Auteuil

Owners : Écurie Patrick Joubert & Écurie Couderc
Trainer : Dominique Bressou
Breeders : Patrick Joubert & Écurie Couderc
Rider : Morgan Regairaz

Very nice ride of Morgan Regairaz in this race for prospective hurdlers with only one of the 13 fillies having already run over the flat. Riding Eoline Jolie (No Risk At All), he led the field away from a getaway Vénale (Diamond Boy), but stood still when matters got more tense in the back straight and in the last turn, to turn for the 2nd last only 7th as La Percutante (Saddex) was going along nicely ahead. In the run-in however, Eoline Jolie accelerated impressively to take the race by storm and pass the post a length ahead of La Percutante and Queens Crystal (Turgeon).

Eoline Jolie is born in the Allier, she's out of Jolie Catty (Mansonnien), a hurdling winner at Enghien. Eoline Jolie his her 7th foal and her first winner. She also gave a 2yo filly by Balko. The 4th dam Grande Yepa (Yelapa) won three times over jumps and gave Kassaboum (Doublebed), a Listed-placed over the flat, the good Subehargues (Mansonnien), one of the best chasers of his generation, and the 1985 Grand Prix d'Automne Hurdle winner Cutty Sark Memory (Un Kopeck).

L’AMOUR DU RISK (H3), FRA par No Risk At All et Lamaya (Azamour)
Prix Emilius Hurdle (Unraced 3C&G, 3,600m), October 27, Auteuil

Owner : Alexandrine Berger
Trainer : Jean-Paul Gallorini
Breeders : Alexandrine Berger & César Gallorini-Berger
Rider : Simon Cossart

Still a maiden after three races over the flat, L’Amour du Risk (No Risk At All) was the most seasoned youngster in the male version of this hurdling debut race. He led the way from pillar to post, looked in a tight spot when Unexcepted (Anzillero) jump thelast alongside him but actually thrived on this and jumped ahead to win cosily with December (Noroit) finishing well in second.

Both the unraced hurdling races of the week at Auteuil went the way of young sire No Risk At All, trained by Jean-Paul Gallorini, who also trains the winner here, lives with the owner Alexandrine Berger and is the father of the co-breeder César Gallorini-Berger !

Gallorini also paid €10,000 to the Aga Khan at Arqana breeding sales in 2010 to get the winner's dam, Lamaya (Azamour), 3yo back then and a maiden after 4 failed attempts to win. The filly originated from the best Lagardere bloodline, all the way to great sire Linamix ! His 2nd damLuna Mareza (Saumarez) also won the Prix Corrida (Gr3).