13 September 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, September 13, 2020, ParisLongchamp. - The 4-year-old filly Air de Valse (Mesnil des Aigles) once again prevailed in the final stages of the Prix du Petit Couvert (Gr3) by beating the race record by 1/100th with a time of 55''34. The previous record, 55''35, had been held by Prohibit since 2011.
Bred by Corine Barande-Barbe, also her co-owner with Alain Benabent and her trainer, Air de Valse held off the favourite Wooded (Wootton Bassett), who attacked her relentlessly but had to concede ¾ of a length, while English raider Lady in France (Showcasing) obliged in third, almost a length behind.
Air de Valse has now won five of her last seven wins with Ronan Thomas. She is consistent over distances from 5 to 7 furlongs and without seeming affected by the ground: she has won four times since December even though she had to climb the ladder every time. She won her first Listed race in August in the Prix du Cercle (L) after having won three handicaps within one year and having climbed the weights scale by fifteen kilos (33lbs) ...
She is one of the best sprinters in the country today. She took home around € 120,000 in prizemoney this year with her owners' Premiums (45%), instead of € 84,450 without them. Her breeder also pocketed over € 23,000 in breeders' premiums.
Her dam Air Bag (Poliglote) did not give another winner but she gave a 3-year-old Zanzibari filly in training with Corine Barande-Barbe. This is a family the trainer knows well, as she who owned Deep Roots, the sire of Air de Valse's second dam and took care of Cirrus des Aigles, the filly sire's brother!