Seven Days: Reawakening 

The curtain came up at Longchamp on Sunday, with the 'réouverture' being conducted in extremely testing conditions but nevertheless providing a welcome return to action at France's premier racecourse.

The most important thing on arrival in the Bois de Boulogne is to make it into the track without being mown down by one or more of the cyclists within the relentless peloton that streams past the gates of Longchamp of a weekend. Everything after that feels like a blessing. 

And indeed we were blessed with an almost dry and definitely warm day. Every trainer, breeder, farmer and clerk of the course has been preoccupied with the exceptionally wet spring that has seen race meetings abandoned and paddocks poached. In assessing the results from Leopardstown to Longchamp on Sunday it will be hard to gauge how well these three-year-olds will fare on faster underfoot conditions but Christophe Ferland believes that his G3 Prix La Force winner Atlast (Fr) (Farhh {GB}) is simply a good horse who, as the old adage goes, will go on any ground. 

A solid and flashy chestnut, the Wertheimers' homebred is certainly an imposing specimen and won decisively despite his slightly awkward head carriage. His Sangster-bred granddam Pitamakan (Danzig) had been bought as a Keeneland yearling for $400,000 and is herself a third-generation descendant of the influential matriarch Courtly Dee (Never Bend). 

It remains regrettable that Atlast's sire Farhh is only able to cover small books of mares owing to his poor fertility, but perhaps that is key to his success, and this looks another really interesting prospect for the son of Pivotal (GB), who on Monday was represented by the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc winner Tribalist (GB). Atlast will surely now be aimed with the intention that he joins Fonteyn (GB) and King Of Change (GB) on the list of Group 1 winners by Farhh. The latter of that pair has his first two-year-old runners this season, as does Farhh's unusually fast son Far Above (Ire).

Hernon Dreams On

Gavin Hernon, who eschewed his native Ireland to start training in Chantilly six years ago, was the toast of the winner's enclosure at Longchamp on Sunday. His fellow Chantilly trainer Tim Donworth shouted “The Irish are taking over” as Hernon collected his trophy from sponsor Kieran Lalor after Dare To Dream (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) opened her season in portentous fashion with victory in the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux.

Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, Meridian International and Scuderia Waldeck, Dare To Dream was well bought by her trainer at €67,000 from Arqana's October Yearling Sale, especially when one considers that the mission Hernon was given by owner Dun Shing Lee was to buy a filly good enough to run in the Oaks. And that's not just any Oaks, either. Lee meant the original Oaks, at Epsom, where he was born and raised. 

So far, so good, as Dare To Dream is the only French-trained filly among the 58 entries for the Betfred Oaks on May 31. With a Classic trial under her belt, a Derby winner as a sire and Arc winner Danedream (Ger) as her aunt, she will have every right to be there. 

Another Ballysax Star?

I've always loved the Ballysax Stakes. For a particularly heady period at the turn of this century its roll of honour featured Galileo (Ire), High Chaparral (Ire) and Yeats (Ire) in just four years. It ebbs and flows, of course, but since then there have been some proper names added, such as Fame And Glory (GB), Banimpire (Ire), Fascinating Rock (Ire) and Rekindling (GB). The most recent Derby winner to emanate from the Ballysax was Harzand (Ire) in 2016. 

Dallas Star (Fr) took the 2024 Ballysax on Sunday and could be the horse to elevate the profile of his sire Cloth Of Stars (Ire), who was eighth behind Harzand at Epsom and went on to win the G1 Prix Ganay as well as finishing second and third in consecutive Arcs won by Enable (GB).

Dallas Star is another to have been sold by Monceaux, this time as a foal for breeders Eliane Dieuaide and Domaine Billard et Fils, for €30,000. He was picked up by Robson Aguiar for 50,000gns as a yearling at Tattersalls and, when he failed to sell, was retained at the Craven Breeze-up Sale for 180,000gns and now runs in the Amo Racing colours, which were so narrowly vanquished in last year's Derby aboard King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

Sent off at 50/1, Dallas Star's victory was clearly not expected, and he had two better fancied rivals from Ballydoyle behind him. The third home, Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), had been sent off favourite and he is a half-brother to Debutante (Fr) (Gold Away {Fr}), dam of the above-mentioned Dare To Dream, and to Danedream.

Cloth Of Stars was also responsible for the third-placed Birr Castle (Fr) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt. The race provided yet another triumph for Jerome Reynier, and was won by Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) on his second start for Ecurie Benaroussi Sofiane after being bought for €500,000 at Arqana's Arc Sale.

The previous weekend, Reynier, who is currently top of the French trainers' table, had enjoyed his first winner on Dubai World Cup night when Facteur Cheval (Ire) won the G1 Dubai Turf. 

Third Classic Contender for Wellenspiel

If you saddle a horse with the name Weltbeste (Ger) you'd better hope that she can live up to it, but Gestut Rottgen had something of a clue in the fact that the daughter of Soldier Hollow (GB) is a full-sister to a Deutsches Derby winner, Weltstar (Ger), and a half-sister to another, Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco Ger}). 

Now two from two in her races to date following victory at Mulheim on Sunday for Rottgen's new trainer Maxim Pecheur, Weltbeste heads the market for the G1 Preis der Diana on August 4. That's a long way off, of course, but if it seems too fantastical to imagine that their dam Wellenspiel (Ger) (Sternkoenig {Ire}) could produce three German Classic winners, it is worth remembering that that feat was achieved not too long ago by Sacarina (GB) (Old Vic {GB}), the dam of Samum (Ger), Schiaparelli (Ger) and Salve Regina (Ger), all sired by Monsun (Ger),

Ward Starts Ascot Hype Rolling

These days, nothing quite says spring is here like a Wesley Ward speedball rocketing from the gates to tear up the early Keeneland juvenile races and book a place on the plane for Royal Ascot.

Step forward Shoot It True, a daughter of Munnings, who claimed a TDN Rising Star with her victory in the first two-year-old race of the season after scoring in emphatic fashion by an eased-down seven and a half lengths. 

Queen Mary ahoy? It would be no surprise.

Stefano Cherchi Remembered at Santa Anita and Beyond

At Santa Anita on Saturday, Frankie Dettori stole the show as only he can do, winning six races in a row, including the GII Santa Anita Oaks aboard Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon) for his main ally Bob Baffert.

Dettori wasn't the only Italian to triumph at the 'Great Race Place', however, with Umberto Rispoli winning the GIII Monrovia S., before Antonio Fresu claimed the major race of the day, the GI Santa Anita Derby, on the Phil d'Amato-trained Stronghold (Ghostzapper). 

Of course, the Italian jockey who has been in the thoughts of racing folk the world over this week is Stefano Cherchi, who died last Wednesday, a fortnight after sustaining devastating head injuries in a race fall at Canberra, Australia. 

Fresu paid an emotional tribute to his compatriot after his first Grade I win on American soil. He said, “I want to dedicate this to my friend who passed away the other day. I felt like he was there with me today. Stefano Cherchi was an amazing guy.”

The death of Cherchi at the age of just 23 has rocked so many of his friends and colleagues in the business. In Newmarket, where the Sardinian had been based since the age of 16 with Marco Botti, the trainer said simply, “I feel like I've lost a son.”

Cherchi's former weighing-room colleague in Britain, Callum Shepherd, perhaps summed up his loss most eloquently. 

“He was not defined by his abilities in the saddle, or by the races he has won,” Shepherd said. “What defined him to us, those lucky enough to have known him, and I really do mean lucky, was the human being he was.

“He was a great friend, he was incredibly kind, and I think he thrived off making those around him happy. Certainly he was far more bothered about others than he was about himself.”

There can really be no finer tribute than that. It has been a terribly sad week, and we offer sincere condolences to Stefano Cherchi's family and friends. His life was celebrated at a remembrance mass in Sydney on Monday and another service will take place on Sunday, April 28, at Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Etheldreda Church in Newmarket. He will not be forgotten. 

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Farhh’s Atlast Takes The Prix La Force

Demonstrating a precocity that belies his title, the Wertheimers' Atlast (Fr) (Farhh {GB}–Pitamore, by More Than Ready) mastered more experienced rivals in Sunday's G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp to exit to the sound of Classic talk. Coming into the nine-furlong test with two juvenile runs at Chantilly to his name and one win over 7 1/2 furlongs on the Polytrack in October, the 11-2 shot was content to track the leaders under Maxime Guyon throughout the early stages. Sweeping to the front with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, the Christophe Ferland-trained homebred asserted to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Mondo Man (GB) (Mondialiste {Ire}).

“He is obviously a very nice horse and it's nice to start the season like this,” Ferland said. “He had very good promise in his two runs last year and the target is the Prix du Jockey Club. We will see which route we take to get there depending how he comes out of this one. I have no doubt he will stay further, but the French 2000 [Poule d'Essai des Poulains] could be a possibility in between. We'll talk to the jockey to get his view and we'll decide in time. The ground is very testing, but he did it well and now he's proved he can go on this ground. He has trained well on the all-weather, so I have no worries about the ground in the future. He's probably a very good horse who can go on any ground.”

Ferland, who has recently relocated to Chantilly from La Teste de Buch, said of his move,”It was hard to organise and at the beginning of the year it was a bit difficult. I didn't have as many runners as I have done in the past, but we are trying to concentrate on quality more than on quantity and now everything is looking alright.”

Pedigree Notes
Atlast is out of the Listed Prix la Camargo runner-up Pitamore (More Than Ready), a daughter of the GIII Valley View S.-placed Pitamakan (Danzig) who also produced the G3 Prix de Barbeville-winning stayer Funny Kid (Lemon Drop Kid). From the family of the champion Althea (Alydar) which includes the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and GIII Runhappy S. winner Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}), she also has a filly foal by Blame.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX LA FORCE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-7, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 2:05.13, vhy.
1–ATLAST (FR), 128, c, 3, by Farhh (GB)
1st Dam: Pitamore (SP-Fr), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Pitamakan, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Vantive, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (FR); T-Christophe Ferland; J-Maxime Guyon. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, €66,500. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mondo Man (GB), 126, c, 3, Mondialiste (Ire)–Moghrama (Ire), by Harbour Watch (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€30,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-Ecuries Serge Stempniak , Pia Brandt & Nils-Petter Gill; B-Elwick Stud (GB); T-Pia & Joakim Brandt. €16,000.
3–First Look (Ire), 128, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Bilissie (GB), by Dansili (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€340,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Ecurie Ama.Zingteam; B-Haras de la Perelle (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 5.70, 11.00, 7.90.
Also Ran: Saganti (Fr), Sunway (Fr), De Sica (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Monday’s Observations: Brother to Adhamo Debuts at Toulouse

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a brother to Grade I winner Adhamo.

 

18.21 Toulouse, Mdn, €21,000, 3yo, c/g, 10 1/2fT
QUANTUM (FR) (Intello {Ger}) is the sole debutante in the line-up, but is a significant runner as a full-brother to the 2022 GI United Nations S. hero Adhamo (Ire). Related to the sire Attendu (Fr), the May-foaled Wertheimer homebred has shown trainer Christophe Ferland enough to warrant entries in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Grand Prix de Paris.

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Royal Oak Glory For Daiwa Major’s Double Major

There was a chance beforehand that the Wertheimers' 3-year-old Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}–Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) had an edge over his elders in Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp, but few would have imagined how great his advantage was as he outclassed them with a vintage display. Always happy at the head of affairs under Maxime Guyon, the Christophe Ferland-trained homebred started to draw clear from the top of the straight and despite wandering around in the clear was so far in front inside the last 100 metres that he was able to be eased for a 7 1/2-length success. Skazino (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) was next best behind the 100-30 favourite, with Tashkhan (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third.

“We are very happy and the big question was the ground, because he has never run on that kind of surface,” the owner-breeders' racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau said of the gelding, who had warmed up for this by winning the track's G2 Prix Chaudenay on Arc weekend. “We knew the horse had that quality, but he was the only three-year-old facing older horses who have much more experience than him, so what he did was very nice and we are very happy. He is a gelding, so hopefully he can travel as well but we are going to enjoy what happened today because it was a really nice performance.”

On a weekend when Japanese breeding and racing was proving unequivocally at the forefront internationally, this was the icing on the cake. Improving with every move up in trip, Double Major was making marked progression from his second in this track's G3 Prix Gerald de Geoffre in August when upstaging Moyglare Stud's equally exciting 3-year-old Harbour Wind (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Chaudenay. This race has been known as the “French St Leger” and with that in mind Double Major's win represents a double for sons of Sunday Silence, as Heart's Cry's Continuous (Jpn) had taken the season's St Leger at Doncaster.

Pedigree Notes
Double Major's listed-placed dam Dancequest is also responsible for the G3 Prix de Guiche winner and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and G2 Prix Eugene Adam-placed Flop Shot (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), as well as the listed-placed Veritas (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). She is kin to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroone Plumania (GB) (Anabaa) and the G2 Prix de Royallieu scorer Balladeuse (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}), who each proved leading producers for the operation. Balladeuse was responsible for the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and this year's TDN Rising Star Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who was runner-up in the recent G3 Prix des Reservoirs, while Plumania's quartet of black-type performers are headed by the G2 Prix du Muguet scorer Plumatic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and she is also the second dam of the G1 Prix Saint Alary-placed Solsticia (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}).

Others to feature in this illustrious dynasty are the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-winning sire Falco, the G1 Prix Lupin hero and leading sire Groom Dancer, fellow sires Slew The Slewor and Tagel and the G1 Prix Vermeille-winning champion Indian Rose (Fr), the G1 Prix Ganay hero Vert Amande (Fr) and the G1 Grand Prix de Paris victor Le Nain Jaune (Fr). There is also a Japanese champion sprinter and miler in Kinshasa No Kiseki (Aus) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}). Dancequest's unraced 2-year-old filly by Lope De Vega (Ire) is named Tyra (GB), while she also has a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire) named Rooba (Ire) and a colt foal also by Lope De Vega named Vegetarien (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX ROYAL-OAK-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-29, 3yo/up, 15 1/2fT, 3:35.89, hy.
1–DOUBLE MAJOR (IRE), 128, g, 3, by Daiwa Major (Jpn)
     1st Dam: Dancequest (Ire) (SP-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
     2nd Dam: Featherquest (GB), by Rainbow Quest
     3rd Dam: Featherhill (Fr), by Lyphard
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Christophe Ferland; J-Maxime Guyon. €199,990. Lifetime Record: 9-4-4-0, €385,690. *1/2 to Flop Shot (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), GSW-Fr, $264,611; & to Veritas (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Skazino (Fr), 130, g, 7, Kendargent (Fr)–Skallet (Fr), by Muhaymin. (€22,000 Ylg '17 ARQOCT; €150,000 RNA HRA '19 ARQARC). O-Gousserie Racing; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €80,010.
3–Tashkhan (Ire), 130, g, 5, Born To Sea (Ire)–Tarziyna (Ire), by Raven's Pass. (€11,000 2yo '20 GOFAUT). O-Mr P Boyle; B-His Highness the Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Brian Ellison. €40,005.
Margins: 7HF, 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 3.30, 11.00, 5.70.
Also Ran: Al Nayyir (GB), Diva Donna (Fr), Galego Star (Fr), Metier (Ire), Novel Legend (Ire), Bubble Gift (Fr), Haya Zark (Fr), The Good Man (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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