18 Stand Firm For Chantilly’s Prix de Diane

Ensuring there was no repeat of the Prix du Jockey Club double-draw farce, an independent bailiff was on hand to oversee Thursday morning's presentation for the 173rd edition of Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane Longines. Proceedings concluded without hitch, with the overnight pre-confirmations all standing their ground and a final field of 18 is set to head postward for Sunday's €1,000,000 10 1/2-furlong Classic, turfdom's very own Competition of Elegance. Imad Al Sagar's G1 Cazoo Oaks third Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is among the nominees and has drawn gate two, to the outside Juddmonte's G2 Prix Greffulhe runner-up Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in one. Last term's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine and this year's G1 1000 Guineas fourth Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will seek a first win of the campaign from the five hole. ParisLongchamp's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches form is headed by that Classic's third, fourth and fifth. Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) will emerge from stall nine, Rosacea (Ire) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) is to the outer in 17 and Daisy Maisy (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will depart from gate 11. Last month's G1 Prix Saint-Alary second and third, Place du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Queen Trezy (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), have been drawn alongside each other in stalls eight and seven. Ballydoyle's loan representative, Pouliches 11th Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), has been allocated post 16.

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Agave Will Skip The Cazoo Oaks

Group 3 winner Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been removed from the G1 Cazoo Oaks field, leaving 18 fillies in the hunt for the fillies' Classic, following the release of the current acceptances on Friday. The Juddmonte homebred won her first three starts, including the G3 Prix Penelope on Apr. 2, but she was last seen running second in the G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud this past Sunday. Impressive G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. victress and 'TDN Rising Star' Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), for John and Thady Gosden, remains the market leader.

Another filly out of a Classic is Group 3 winner Hermana Estrella (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who will miss the G1 French 1000 Guineas on Sunday and instead point for the Irish equivalent on May 22, as trainer Fozzy Stack deemed the underfoot conditions to be too dry for his filly. Although she has only made one start, the Paul Smith, Joe Poulin and J. Carthy colourbearer made it count, taking the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas last May.

“It was just the weather forecast,” he said. “The forecast is very dry and very hot for the weekend in Paris–around 28C or 29C–and so we are just going to wait for the Curragh on the following Sunday. She is in good form.”

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Agave The Main Attraction On Sunday

Next month's Epsom Oaks looks more exciting than the Derby at present and Juddmonte's unbeaten Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) could join the picture if she can master the colts in Sunday's G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud. Kept at the same venue at which she has won twice this term and the same 10 1/2-furlong distance as the G3 Prix Penelope Apr. 2, the relative of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is one of France's most fascinating members of the Classic crop at present. Olivier Peslier retains the ride and jumps off M Horse Racing and Ecurie Vivaldi's talented Maximus (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) as a result, with that Christophe Ferland-trained colt narrowly denied by Agave's stablemate Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) in the G3 Prix Noailles over this trip at ParisLongchamp Apr. 17.

A New Stone Age?

Ballydoyle's stranglehold on the Derby could be about to get even tighter at Leopardstown, with the G3 Derby Trial playing host to Peter Brant, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Still a maiden entering 2022, he put paid to that tag with a nine-length success at Navan Mar. 29 and could be a different proposition at three. He is pitched back against Beauty Stable's unbeaten Atomic Jones (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who had his measure by a head in the track's G2 Champions Juvenile S. in September, while Teme Valley Racing's French Claim (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}) joins in, having also won by nine lengths over this 10-furlong trip at Cork Apr. 16. Add Newtown Anner Stud Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Duke de Sessa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) to the mix and you have a Blue Riband trial of significant note.

 

Agartha On Trial

There are some promising types in the Foxrock venue's G3 Cornelscourt S. for Irish 1000 Guineas prospects over a mile, but first they have to get past Scott Heider's rock-solid Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio). Last year's G2 Debutante S. and G3 Silver Flash S. winner and G1 Moyglare Stud S. runner-up has a penalty, as she had when second to Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial S. here

Apr. 2. Homeless Songs's trainer Dermot Weld is sending out the cream of his Classic crop at present and The Aga Khan's Suwayra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) retains intrigue having been absent since her debut defeat of the smart Cairde Go Deo (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) over this course and distance in July.

Click here for the group fields.

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Dubawi’s Agave Too Good For Penelope Rivals

Juddmonte's unbeaten 3-year-old filly Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) defeated subsequent Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux victrix Singforthemoment (Ire) (No Nay Never) when graduating over ParisLongchamp's one-mile strip in a Sept. 2 debutantes' heat, her sole juvenile outing, and doubled up in style going 10 furlongs on seasonal return with a three-length tally and a career high in Saint-Cloud's Mar. 10 Listed Prix Rose de Mai last time. Upped in trip once more for Saturday's G3 Prix Penelope back at Saint-Cloud, the May 15 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and June 19 G1 Prix de Diane entry continued her rapid ascent with a snug success in this pointer to the latter Classic. Agave was restrained to race off the pace in sixth after breaking smartly from an outer gate and turned for home in sixth. Making smooth headway out wide in the straight to launch her challenge at the quarter-mile marker, the 3-10 favourite led soon after and was pushed out in the closing stages to comfortably hold the late rattle of G3 Prix des Reservoirs runner-up Queen Trezy (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) by 3/4-of-a-length, extending trainer Andre Fabre's record haul of renewals to nine.

“This filly has improved with every run, she has gone up in class with aplomb every time and we're delighted with this result,” said Juddmonte's on-course representative. “[Jockey] Olivier Peslier remarked that she was not favoured by the lack of pace and thought that he'd moved forward a little soon to avoid being caught for speed. He felt he was always safely in control. Andre Fabre will discuss plans with the family and racing manager Barry Mahon. She's entered in the [May 29 G1 Prix] Saint-Alary [back at ParisLongchamp] and that could be her next target.”

Agave is the second of four foals and lone scorer out of G2 Prix de Pomone and G3 Prix Allez France placegetter Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), herself kin to a trio of black-type performers headed by dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The February-foaled bay, who becomes the 149th group-race winner for her sire, is a half-sister to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Salient Point (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) and a yearling filly by Study of Man (Ire). Her stakes-winning second dam Concentric (GB) (Sadler's Wells) ran third in the G3 Prix de Flore and is out of G3 Prix de Royaumont victrix Apogee (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}). Descendants of Apogee include MGSW sire Apsis (GB) (Barathea {Ire}), MGSW G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Dance Routine (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and MGISW US champion and sire Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

Saturday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX PENELOPE-G3, €80,000, Saint-Cloud, 4-2, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:18.15, sf.
1–AGAVE (GB), 126, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Contribution (GB) (MGSP-Fr), by Champs Elysees (GB)
2nd Dam: Concentric (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Apogee (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Suc. Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Andre Fabre; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €81,000. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Queen Trezy (Fr), 126, f, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Elodie (GB), by Dansili (GB). (€125,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Eric Feurtet, Mme Marion le Menestrel & Haras d'Etreham; B-Eric de Chambure & Riviera Equine SARL (FR); T-Carlos & Yann Lerner. €16,000.
3–Anne de Cleves (Fr), 126, f, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Alcandre (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Lady Chryss O'Reilly & Baron Edouard de Rothschild (FR); B-Petra Bloodstock Agency Ltd & SC Ecurie de Meautry (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.30, 6.30, 11.00.
Also Ran: She's Cosmic (GB), Allada (GB), La Mandola (Fr), Welcome Sight (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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