The July 2023 Maiden winners

 

MLLE MOLIÈRE (f2), (IRE) by Kingman ex Armande (Sea the Stars)

Prix des Marettes (Unraced 2-year-old fillies, 1,500m/7.5f), July 30, 2023, Deauville

Owners: Chryss O’Reilly, Edouard de Rothschild

Trainer: André Fabre

Breeder: Écurie de Meautry, Petra Bloodstock Agency

Rider: Maxime Guyon

Unlike Elbaz in the day's colts' maiden, also boosted to €50,000, Mlle Molière (Kingman) had to fight a bit to take over favourite Forlonge (American Pharoah), who had led the race and looked like a potential winner for a long time before giving way to her rival in the final furlong. However, Mlle Molière (short for "Mademoiselle Molière") had not enjoyed a very good trip, stuck outside without cover on the second row. Nonetheless, she dug in and managed to win by a neck, with a good length behind, Protostar (Nathaniel). Darling Darling (Dabirsim), finishing fourth, came from far behind to post the fastest last furlong in 11'31. However, the winner is the only one to have gone under 11 seconds to cover the second last furlong (none of the Colts went under 11'30 half an hour earlier)...

Miss Molière is the third foal out of the excellent Armande (Sea the Stars), winner of the Prix Corrida (Gr2) and already the dam of the promising Mr Molière (Kingman), who recently won the Tattersalls Prix de Saint-Patrick (L).

The fourth dam of Miss Molière is none other than Allegretta, also the dam of the phenomenal Urban Sea, whose sister Altruiste (Diesis) was sold for 9 million francs to Miss Molière's breeders, Chryss O’Reilly and Edouard de Rothschild, in 1999, before the Euro and the Brexit were invented.

 

ELBAZ (c2), FRA by Siyouni ex Elennga (Exceed and Excel)

Prix de Crèvecœur (Unraced 2-year-old colts and geldings, 1,500m/7.5f), July 30, 2023, Deauville

Owner: S. A. Aga Khan

Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget

Breeder: Aga Khan

Rider: Cristian Demuro

The first race of the Deauville Summer meeting was won for the third year by a colt trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, and for the second time for the Aga Khan, with an extremely promising colt, Elbaz (Siyouni), who easily cleared a field reduced to six runners after two last-minute withdrawals.

Held back from a field led by Un Instant (Le Havre) and Calypso King (Calyx), he passed by them effortlessly and finished ahead of a brave Shadow Art (Masar) and Burgundy Regal (City Light), both also putting in pleasing performances.

Elbaz is the third foal out of Elennga (Exceed and Excel), a mare who won a handicap at Deauville with a 72lbs tag and placed in a Listed race in Germany, all at three after three unsuccessful attempts at 2. The second foal, Elana (Blame), won twice on the all-weather at Marseille-Vivaux last year. The first, Elbasani (English Channel), won at Morlaix before being sold at Deauville for €15,000 to Ludovic Gadbin, who parted with him for €4,000 four months later following a series of failures in claimers.

Elennga is a sister of the classic winner Ervedya (Siyouni), whose mating has been reproduced to give Elbaz.

 

MONDRIAL (c2), (GB) by Blue Point ex Makeba (Makfi)

Prix du Fossé La Coque (Unraced 2-year-old Colts and Geldings, 1,400m/7f), July 16, 2023, Chantilly

Owners: Vivaldi Trading, Écurie Alexandre Foulon, Écurie Vivaldi, Hubert Guy

Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget

Breeder: Dieter Burkle

Rider: Cristian Demuro

Easy victory for the favourite Mondrial (Blue Point), but still nerve-wracking for his numerous backers - and his rider - as after travelling behind Saganti (Zarak), who took the lead from the frontrunner Ali (Kingman) two furlongs out, the colt seemed unable to reach his momentum and sort of held on before finally producing a dazzling acceleration that allowed him to effortlessly catch a brave Saganti, ultimately beating him by three-quarters of a length but with ease.

Ali stayed on in third, less than two lengths behind.

The Vivaldi stables managed by Didier Krainc are doing well at the moment. Their representative here was purchased for €100,000 by his trainer Jean-Claude Rouget at the August 2022 sales in Deauville. His Pinatubo brother will also be presented at the Arqana sales this summer.

Their dam, Makeba (Makfi), did not race, but she is out of the champion stayer Molly Malone (Lomitas), winner of the Prix du Cadran (Gr1), and also the dam of Morgan Le Faye (Shamardal), a winner of the Prix Corrida (Gr2). The fifth dam, Mosella, is the dam of the great sire Monsun and the dam of Brametot.

 

GAVEA (f2), GER by Gleneagles ex Goiania (Oasis Dream)

Prix de la Butte Blanche (Unraced 2-year-old Fillies, 1,400m/7f), July 16, 2023, Chantilly

Owner: Christophe Berglar

Trainer: Waldemar Hickst

Breeder: Gestüt Fahrhof

Rider: Cristian Demuro

The Juddmonte-bred Zandy (Frankel) was the odds-on favourite. Still, when the leader Gavea (Gleneagles) took off, she was unable to respond, unlike Opera Mundi (Kingman), who challenged the German filly and even took over about one out, only to lose the edge in the final jumps to lose by a short head.

Zandy didn't perform too poorly, though, finishing fourth, six lengths behind, ahead of the plucky Séduisante (Chalaa), who was ridden early but made up lots of ground early in the straight before staying on within three-quarters of the race's favourite.

Gavea was unsold at €36,000 at the Baden-Baden sales. On the other hand, her 3-year-old sister Granada (Aerion) was sold for €9,500 in July at Deauville to Outsider Bloodstock.

Their dam, Goiania (Oasis Dream), won at Listed level in Germany, and their second dam, Goathemala (Black Sam Bellamy), fared even better by winning a Group 3 race.

 

ROCAMBOLESQUE (c2), FRA by Kodiac and Sedrina (Dream Ahead)

Prix du Soleil de Bretagne (Maiden 2-year-old Colts and Geldings, 1,200m/6f), July 10, 2023, Chantilly

Owners: Écurie Alexandre Foulon, Écurie Vivaldi, Groupe KR, Vivaldi-Chantilly

Trainer: Tim Donworth

Breeder: Haras de la Pérelle

Rider: Cristian Demuro

A good fourth behind Sajir for his debut at Saint-Cloud over 6.5f, sticking to the rail, Rocambolesque (Kodiac) was slightly shortened here but on a straight course, and he took the lead without much effort, allowing the favourite Hantano (Dubawi) to slip inside along the grandstand rails.

The latter couldn't hold on in the final furlong, however. Rocambolesque, however, pulled away to comfortably keep off Retort (Frankel), who finished well in between horses over a length behind, with the unraced Reverso (Wootton Bassett) bravely held on in the centre of the course.

Rocambolesque was purchased for €100,000 by Trotting Bloodstock at the Arqana yearling sales, where he was presented by his breeder, Haras de la Pérelle. He is the first foal out of Sedrina (Dream Ahead), a claiming race winner at Argentan who went on to win immediately another race, a Deauville handicap over an extended 1m1/2 with a 77lbs rating.

She is a half-sister to the talented Spring Leaf (Footstepsinthesand), a Listed winner and placed in the Prix Pénélope (Gr3), and also from the family of the notable Gentlewave (Monsun). It is worth noting that Sedrina, in foal to Intello, was sold for €7,500 in December 2021 at Deauville to Emir Ilyas Karadag.

 

CAVALETTI (f2), GB by Kingman and Goldika (Intello)

Prix de la Verrerie (Maiden 2-year-old Fillies, 1,200m/6f), July 10, 2023, Chantilly

Owner: Succession Khalid Abdullah

Trainer: André Fabre

Breeder: Juddmonte Farms Ireland

Rider: Bauyrzhan Murzabayev

The only unraced filly in the race, Cavaletti (Kingman) still held off the late charge of her stablemate and favourite Expert Advice (Expert Eye), who had already finished second for her debut on the Prix de Diane Longines undercard over 5.5f.

Cavaletti still attracted plenty of attention as she is out of Goldika (Intello), herself a daughter of the Wertheimer family champion Goldikova (Anabaa) and a winner of just one race in six attempts, at Compiègne over the mile in September of her 3-year-old season. That was her final race. The mare then came under the ownership of Juddmonte, the breeder of Cavaletti.

 

JASNA’S SECRET (f2), FRA by Galiway ex Orpena (Orpen)

Prix de Lisieux  (Unraced 2-year-old Fillies, 1,200m/6f), July 9, 2023, Deauville

Owners: Anja Wilde, Frédéric Hinderze

Trainers: Yann et Carlos Lerner

Breeder: Haras du Quesnay

Rider: Christophe Soumillon

fast out of the stalls and well placed near the leading Macu (Siyouni) by the rail on the stands' side, Jasna’s Secret (Galiway) eventually took over to win by almost two lengths. Led by the favourite Teeran (Kingman), the field finished three lengths behind.

Purchased for €42,000 as a yearling at the Deauville sales by her trainers, Jasna’s Secret is the second foal out of Orpena (Orpen), a winner of one race at Pornichet from the family of the classic Riverqueen, who was racing for Roland de Chambure and Alec Head's Écurie Aland.

After this filly, Orpena gave two Intello colts. The first was sold as a weanling for €17,000 along with his dam at the last Arqana breeding sales. Orpena was sold for €5,500 to the Chehboub family's Yellow Agency, in foal to the colt born at Haras de Beaumont this year.

The elder Intello colt was resold for €3,000 in Deauville to TJ Bloodstock last February.

 

 

EVADE (c2), FRA by Wootton Bassett ex Angel Falls (Kingmambo)

Prix de Tancarville (Unraced 2-year-old Colts and Geldings, 1,200m/6f), July 9, 2023, Deauville

Owner: Qatar Racing Ltd

Trainer: André Fabre

Breeders: Écurie des Monceaux, Écurie Loïck Fouchet, Kastro Stud Farm, Ralphy Meahjohn

Rider: Mickaël Barzalona

Starting at a standstill, Evade (Woottton Bassett) was initially kept behind this field of six colts vying for one of the two boosted €50,000 maiden races. Follow Me (Shalaa) took over about 300 yards out and the representative from Qatar made his move then, flying by the field to take a short neck on Follow Me at the post. Yoken (Goken) stayed on after travelling behind the leaders to deprive the favourite Nope Never (No Nay Never) of third place.

Evade was purchased for €300,000 by David Redvers as a yearling at the Deauville sales. He is a brother to National Defense (Invincible Spirit), a winner of the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr1), whose second dam Anna Palariva (Caerleon), winner of the Prix d'Aumale (Gr3), is also the second dam of Derby and King George winner Adayar (Frankel).

A Hello Youmzain colt is listed for the upcoming August Arqana Yearling sales.

 

 

LA BELLE POETE (f2), FRA by City Light et On High (Exceed and Excel)

Prix de Marolles (Maiden 2-year-olds, 1,100m/5.5f), July 2nd, 2023, Deauville

Owner: Louis Baudron

Trainer: Louis Baudron

Breeders: Aida Bloodstock, Alison Tait, Laurent Lengin

Rider: Marie Velon

Fourth on her debut in May at Saint-Cloud over 6 furlongs, then third behind Laulne and Queen Flo (Seahenge), who was back at the start here too, over 5.5 furlongs at Chateaubriant, La Belle Poête (City Light) ran keenly and finished 3rd after briefly challenging the leaders in the final straight.

On a straight course this time, she took a long time to find momentum behind the leaders, passing through the gap at the last moment between Best of Light (City Light), who had finished fourth at Chateaubriant, and Queen Flo, beaten by a head this time, at the wire. Picanes (Dariyan), against the outside rail, could have been spooked by the leaders' movements and finished fourth, half a length behind Best of Light, herself a neck behind Queen Flo.

La Belle Poête is the fifth foal out of On High (Exceed and Excel), who placed once in ten races under the training of Richard Hannon in England. She had produced a winner before and was sold for €4,000 last December in Deauville, in foal to Attendu, to First Consulting/Assed. Her third dam is the second dam of the champions Kris and Diesis.