24 May 2021
Photo scoopdyga.com
Monday, May 24, 2021, Longchamp Racecourse (Paris). - Well beaten by Philomène for her comeback in the Pénélope (Gr3) over 10.5f, then just caught home by Harajuku (Deep Impact) in the Cléopâtre (Gr3), again on 10.5f, Incarville (Wootton Bassett) won her first race of the season over 10 furlongs in the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1) by taking a head on the wire on the front-running Cirona (Maxios).
The race was run on very soft ground and was slow enough since they went 10’’ over the record-time, about the same speed as in the Prix Hocquart, run over 11 furlongs minutes earlier.
The leader of the race, Cirona (Maxios), who'd won the Prix de la Grotte (Gr3) over the mile before that and skipped the French Guineas, long looked like a potential winner with Es La Vida (Soldier Hollow) alongside. Yet Incarville managed to come back and take a head on the post while Sibila Spain (Frankel), 4th, and Rumi (Frankel), sixth, couldn't make up the ground from the rear.
Which makes the performance of the David Smaga-trained, Christophe Soumillon-ridden, even better than it looks.
Bred by Naji Nahas, Incarville is owned by Gérard Augustin-Normand. She's out of a Lagardère family. Her dam Ilhabela (Azamour) won 2 races and she's a sister to the French 2,000 Guineas winner Vahorimix (Linamix).
Incarville is in the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1) and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1).