21 August 2021
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday 21 August 2021, Hippodrome de Deauville-La Touques (Calvados). - Several of the Prix de la Nonette (Gr2) fillies, as often, were returning from a go at the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1). Ninth in the Chantilly classic, Rumi (Frankel) had the last word this time, beating the Prix de Psyché (Gr3) winner Penja (Camelot) by a thread. Fourth in the Prix Rothschild (Gr1) after taking fifth place in the “Diane”, Rougir (Territories) finished strong once again in third place, at a short neck, just ahead of Harajuku (Deep Impact) and Incarville (Wootton Bassett), two other runners of the French Spring classics. The British raider and favourite Zeyaadah (Tamayuz) was never threatening after missing her start.
It is thus confirmed that the hierarchy among French 3-year-old fillies in this distance slot has remained uncertain this season, the other “Diane” having recently failed at Deauville.
Rumi, however, runs at the best level since the spring. Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, for Al Shira'aa Farms, indeed won the Prix Vanteaux (Gr3) before failing in the “Saint-Alary” then the “Diane”, her last performance before this return to the racecourse. Ridden by the rail behind the leaders by Gérald Mossé, who joined Freddy Head as the top jockey in this event with this sixth success in 34 years, Rumi showed great resolve to hang on and finally beat a tough Penja.
Rumi was bought for € 700,000 at the Deauville sales. She is a sister to Solage (Galileo), a Listed winner at the end of 2019 aged 3 in Ireland after costing a million euros. Their Roaring Lion yearling brother has just been sold for € 100,000 to David Redvers in Deauville. The dam Secrete (Cape Cross) was sold by the Wertheimers in Deauville to the Écurie des Monceaux for € 250,000 in 2021.