Tag: Al Asayl France

Dubawi’s The Revenant Registers Listed Prix Altipan Hat-Trick

Al Asayl France's homebred 2020 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–Hazel Lavery {Ire}, by Excellent Art {GB}), returning off an Oct. 15 seventh when making his fourth start in the Ascot benchmark last time, registered a hat-trick in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Altipan with a comfortable win in Thursday's latest edition of the one-mile test. It was the 8-year-old gelding's sixth success in eight outings over the track's course and distance. Settling into a smooth rhythm racing at the tail of the eight-runner field into the straight, the 3-5 favourite made relentless progress saving ground along the far-side rail to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining and was pushed out to defeat Anthorus (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) by 1 1/4 lengths in snug fashion.

“He is such a special horse for us and by winning this race for the third time shows us that he can still compete at a high level at the age of eight,” commented Francis Graffard. “That's what I wanted to find out with this first start, to see if he still possessed his fighting spirit, because he had a hard race last time out at Ascot. The race unfolded perfectly for him. He settled into a great rhythm, it was a ground-saving trip on the inside and he idled once in front because he knows the job. I didn't work him too hard at home and he will come on for the run. The program is straightforward and it should be the [G3 Prix] Edmond Blanc and then the [G2 Prix du] Muguet. However, he will not run if the going is not soft enough. He needs that ground, more than ever, and didn't really get it last year.”

The Revenant, a half-brother to the hitherto untried 3-year-old filly Andraste (GB) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), is the second of five foals and lone winner produced by G3 St Simon S. victrix Hazel Lavery (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}), herself a half-sister to MGSP Czech champion Leo Gali (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The April-foaled chestnut's third dam Rapid Repeat (Ire) (Exactly Sharp) is kin to four black-type performers headed by G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial-winning sire Artema (Ire) (Common Grounds {GB}).

Thursday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX ALTIPAN-Listed, €52,000, Saint-Cloud, 3-9, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:45.53, vsf.
1–THE REVENANT (GB), 126, g, 8, Dubawi (Ire)–Hazel Lavery (Ire) (GSW-Eng, $246,630), by Excellent Art (GB).
O-Al Asayl France; B-Al Asayl Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Tony Piccone. €26,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, MGSW & G1SP-Fr, GSW-Ger, 23-13-4-3, €1,371,520.
2–Anthorus (Fr), 126, c, 4, Territories (Ire)–Anna Platini (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). O/T-Henri-Alex Pantall; B-Henri-Alex Pantall & Mme Yvette Pantall (FR). €10,400. €10,400.
3–Titanium (Fr), 126, g, 4, Zarak (Fr)–Kyurem (Ire), by Verglas (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€50,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Ecurie 4L, Comte Guillaume de Saint-Seine, Alessandro Botti, Giuseppe Botti, Ecurie Vitale, Scuderia Visconti di Modrone & Giovanni Neri; B-Haras de la Perelle (FR); T-Alessandro & Giuseppe Botti. €7,800.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 0.60, 8.30, 10.00.
Also Ran: Bennetot (Ire), Monarchic (Ire), Best Lightning (Fr), Siam Paragon (Fr), Jacinda (GB). Scratched: Loliwood (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Frankel’s L’Astronome Battles To Hocquart Success

He had to fight to extend his winning sequence on his black-type bow on Thursday, but Al Asayl France's L'Astronome (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Tymora, by Giant's Causeway) proved equal to the task when eking out a narrow verdict over Galaxie Gold (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) in a thriller for ParisLongchamp's G2 Prix Hocquart. Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 11-furlong test, having shown abundant promise so far and having scored over slightly shorter at this track last time Apr. 28, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained chestnut was unable to get a lead from the outset with Christophe Soumillon committed to going on before halfway. Tackled on both sides in what would have been a long last furlong for connections, he refused to allow Ecurie d'Haspel's rail-runner the glory and thrust his neck out to prevail by a head, with 3/4 of a length back to the G3 Bavarian Classic scorer Lavello (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) in third.

“I think it was a nice performance,” Graffard said. “Christophe feared he might be caught for speed with this horse and so took up his responsibilities. He said the horse is still green and immature and was asked to do something he had never done before, so this education will certainly help him in the future. The horse was courageous and brave and he is now three-for-three this season. The owners will enjoy this and we will now concentrate on our target, the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on July 14th. Hopefully the ground will be even faster and he will appreciate the extra furlong.”

Galaxie Gold is also unexposed and trainer Damien de Watrigant was considering a rematch in the Bastille Day feature. “We are delighted with the performance and frustrated to lose by so little,” he said. “Anyway, we were taking quite a few steps up in class there and the result is positive. The horse seemed quite impressed to run on such a big course and will learn from the experience. The owner now has a partner, so they will discuss his future and there are still some questions to be answered like will he stay a mile and a half and be back for the Grand Prix de Paris?”

L'Astronome, who becomes the 64th group winner for his sire, is a half-brother to the G2 Coventry S.-placed Eltezam (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), with the second dam being the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine Shiva (Jpn) (Hector Protector). She produced the Listed Prix Zarkava winner and G2 Prix Corrida runner-up That Which Is Not (Elusive Quality), whose G3 Ballysax S.-winning son Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) could be even bigger things for the pedigree in the upcoming Derby. Shiva is also the second dam of the G2 Gimcrack S. and G2 Champagne S. winner Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), as well as being a half-sister to the G1 Oaks heroine Light Shift (Kingmambo) who is responsible for Piz Badile's G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Eclipse S.-winning sire. This is also the family of the triple grade I-winning Main Sequence (Aldebaran) and the G1 Prix Ganay hero Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Tymora's colt foal is by Galiway (GB).

Thursday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX HOCQUART-G2, €130,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-26, 3yo, 11fT, 2:20.61, sf.
1–L'ASTRONOME (GB), 128, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
     1st Dam: Tymora, by Giant's Causeway
     2nd Dam: Shiva (Jpn), by Hector Protector
     3rd Dam: Lingerie (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Al Asayl France (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, €110,500. *1/2 to Eltezam (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Galaxie Gold (Fr), 128, c, 3, Dariyan (Fr)–Galaxie des Sables (Fr), by Marchand de Sable. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€28,000 RNA Ylg '20 AROCT; €47,000 RNA 2yo '21 ARQJUN). O-Ecurie d'Haspel; B-Haras d'Haspel (FR); T-Damien de Watrigant. €28,600.
3–Lavello (Ire), 128, c, 3, Zarak (Fr)–Laura (Ger), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (IRE); T-Markus Klug. €13,650.
Margins: HD, 1 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.70, 10.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Garachico (GB), Selwan (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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QEII Glory For Dubawi’s The Revenant

On a day when only the fittest survived, the suitably dramatically-titled The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) as expected made light of Ascot’s very testing ground to take the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. for France. Like the G1 QIPCO Champion S. hero Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) runner-up in his respective race 12 months ago, Al Asayl France’s chestnut had a proven love of these conditions in his armoury as well as freshness having only re-appeared this season a fortnight previously when winning the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp. Sent off the 5-1 second favourite to go one better than in 2019, he was always in his comfort zone tracking the moderate early pace set by the 28-1 shot Roseman (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Tackling that outsider inside the final two furlongs, he had edged ahead a furlong from home and answered Pierre-Charles Boudot’s every call to gain a head verdict, with 3 1/4 lengths back to the 8-11 favourite Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in third. “Today I was very confident and he did it well on the track,” commented France’s revelation ‘PCB’. “He was very relaxed and when I asked him he gave me a nice, long turn of foot and was courageous. He’s a super-tough horse.”

This was the one race on the card that played host to a potential superstar in the unbeaten Palace Pier and although he performed with credit on going that played against him, he was another in a line of John Gosden stars who failed to show their true colours in specialist ground. He made his move down the outer from rear under Dettori to threaten The Revenant, but was unable to keep tabs on the 5-year-old who had only the leader Roseman to worry about late on. Nothing got into contention from behind and it was ultimately left to The Revenant to make it a clean sweep for geldings in the day’s feature races open to them.

Trainer Francis Henri Graffard, whose 2020 has been highly profitable thanks to this stable stalwart, the filly Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), sprinter Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and 3-year-old middle-distance performer In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}), deserves all the credit available in nurturing the former Hugo Palmer trainee as Haggas has with Addeybb. Three-from-four as a 3-year-old, he was gelded and returned to reward that decision by annexing Saint-Cloud’s Listed Prix Altipan and G3 Prix Edmond Blanc last Spring. Brought here after subsequent wins in the G2 Badener Meile and last year’s renewal of the Daniel Wildenstein, he found only King of Change (GB) (Farhh {GB}) too strong here and his subsequent absence until Arc Saturday was due to COVID-19 wiping out the early part of the calendar.

“I had him ready to run in the Spring, but when lockdown came I decided to send him out to grass and he had a good spell,” Graffard explained. “I had to wait until the Daniel Wildenstein for his comeback and he was only 80 per-cent fit for that race. I was a little bit stressed that I had to work him quite hard in the run-up, but everything was building to today. It all worked out because he is a very good horse with a lot of heart. It went exactly as we had planned, with him settled close to the pace.”

Gosden said of Palace Pier, “He pulled off a shoe leaving the gate. He was trying to run the whole race with one shoe off and Frankie said he was not able to change leads and the horse wasn’t able to handle the ground.”

The Revenant is the second foal out of Hazel Lavery (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}), whose career sign-off came with a defeat of the eventual G1 Champion S. hero Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) on heavy ground in the G3 St Simon S. A half-sister to the Listed Premio Terme di Merano winner and G3 St Leger Italiano and G3 Give Thanks S. runner-up Leo Gali (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), she is a granddaughter of Rapid Repeat (Ire) (Exactly Sharp) who is kin to the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S.-winning sire Artema (Ire) (Common Grounds {GB}) and the stakes winner Hello Soso (Ire) (Alzao) who was also third in the GII Diana H. Hazel Lavery’s unraced 2-year-old filly by Oasis Dream (GB) is named La Viette (GB), while her 2020 foal is a daughter of Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QUEEN ELIZABETH II S.-G1, £650,000, Ascot, 10-17, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:45.13, sf.
1–THE REVENANT (GB), 130, g, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Hazel Lavery (Ire) (GSW-Eng, $246,630), by Excellent Art (GB)
2nd Dam: Reprise (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Rapid Repeat (Ire), by Exactly Sharp
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Al Asayl France; B-Al Asayl Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. £368,615. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Ger at 7-9 1/2f, MGSW-Fr & GSW-Ger, 13-10-2-1, $1,172,931. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Roseman (Ire), 130, c, 4, Kingman (GB)–Go Lovely Rose (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). (180,000gns Wlg ’16 TATFOA; €650,000 Ylg ’17 GOFOR). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Knocktoran Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £139,750.
3–Palace Pier (GB), 127, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Beach Frolic (GB), by Nayef. (600,000gns Ylg ’18 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Highclere Stud and Floors Farming (GB); T-John Gosden. £69,940.
Margins: HD, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 5.00, 28.00, 0.73.
Also Ran: Sir Busker (Ire), Veracious (GB), Lord Glitters (Fr), Dark Vision (Ire), Nazeef (GB), Century Dream (Ire), Circus Maximus (Ire), Royal Dornoch (Ire), Molatham (GB), Escobar (Ire), Lancaster House (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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