3 June 2018
Photo scoopodyga.com
The race
Very unlucky after getting boxed in the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Groupe 1) in the latter stages, Mission Impassible put the wrongs to right by landing the Prix de Sandringham (Group 2). Cristian Demuro managed to relax his mount in the slipstream of the leader Efaadah before the combination took the latter’s measure in the straight. Crown Walk, coming off a win in a maiden, finished strongly to deprive Efaadah of second. Mission Impassible is expected to race at Deauville in the summer but it’s not the cards that she will tackle either the Prix de Diane Longines or go to Royal Ascot.
How they fared
- 1st - Mission Impassible : A little keen early on before being shading the front running Efaadah. She took time to pick up but, after hitting full stride, ran on strongly in the final 200 metres to win a shade cosily.
- 2nd - Crown Walk : After bringing up the rear for a long way, she was noted doing her best work towards the finish by running on strongly to take second in the final strides.
- 3rd - Efaadah: Smartly into her stride, she set a honest tempo but had to give best to Mission Impassible before losing second to Crown Walk in the dying strides..
- 4th - Shamtee: Held up at the back of the field, she kept on well on the outside of the field – threatening Efaadah for third.
- 5th- Ellthea: After chasing the pace, she threatened on the outside with 400 metres to go but was unable to sustain her effort.
- 6e - Altyn Orda: After racing in second, she was found wanting in the latter stages. It was reported that she lost a shoe.
- 7th - Blue Valley : Never threatened and was well beaten.
Quotes :
Jean-Claude Rouget (trainer of Mission Impassible, 1st)
"When she worked at Deauville at the beginning of the week, we didn’t overtax her as she had raced three weeks earlier. However, in the Poule d’Essai, she was all dressed up with nowhere to go in the final 200-metres….She needed to get a race under her belt on her return and, what we are doing, is putting the pieces of the jigsaw together. Today, she was a lot calmer than in her previous two races. We wanted to be clear in our minds by giving her another chance. At present, I’m not thinking of going to Royal Ascot with her as it will come too soon. Ditto the Prix de Diane. We are going to train her with a view to going to Deauville and why not have a look at the British programme for fillies?”
Cristian Demuro (jockey of Mission Impassible, 1st)
" Today everything went well as she managed to get a clear run – but the reverse was true in the Poule d’Essai when she found herself trapped behind a wall of horses and was unable to accelerate. Here, things opened up for her and she showed a good turn of foot. Before the race, I took the advice of Christophe Soumillon, as he had already ridden her before, and he gave me one or two pointers. I’m grateful to him and his advice to me was to get her relaxed – otherwise she would pull and start to hang. In the straight, she hung a little to the right, but no more than that."
Henri-Alex Pantall (trainer of Crown Walk, 2nd)
"She ran very well on her first attempt at group level. She was more relaxed then in her previous race and she finished like a filly who may go longer. She produced an eye-catching finish but I don’t know where she will go next.”
Lisa-Jane Graffard (manager of Goldolphin France, the owners of Crown Walk, 2nd)
" She changed trainers as opportunities were more limited for her in Britain. She arrived in France in top form and has continued to thrive. I envisage no problem as regards stepping her up in trip.”
Freddy Head (trainer of Efaadah, 3rd)
"The mile trip is as far as she cares to go. Her stamina is a little suspect and the ground was perhaps a little too soft for her liking. However, she was beaten by some good fillies and can progress further. I’m a little disappointed, as in mid-stretch, I thought she would go on and win but her effort petered out a little towards the end. There is a lot of speed in the pedigree and I’m perhaps going to look in this direction."