Tag: Christopher Head

Fontainebleau Success For Le Havre’s Ramadan

Gifted an ideal lead in Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, Aurelien Lemaitre took full advantage to steer Nurlan Bizakov's Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}–Raushan {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) to success in the key G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains trial. Race-fit having registered a five-length success in the Listed Prix Omnium II at Saint-Cloud last month, the Christopher Head-trained homebred who had been fourth in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last term ticked off honest fractions on the front end before kicking in early straight.

Getting the jump on the returning TDN Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) there, the 6-4 favourite had extra to give as that chief market rival paid late for having to accelerate harder to close. At the line, Ramadan had 3/4 of a length to spare over him, with the same margin back to the re-opposing Omnium runner-up Grey Man (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who narrowed the gap between him and the winner. The sectionals were faster at every step than the Grotte, suggesting that the winner made it a relative test by French trial standards.

“The better the ground, the better the horse, I would say,” Bizakov said. “It is emotional for me, because he is by Le Havre, who is no longer with us and I bought the mare from Lady O'Reilly, who is no longer with us. For sure he deserves to be in the Poulains and we'll go there with an open mind. He'll stay the Jockey Club distance too.”

Before taking part in the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Ramadan had beaten the same owner's Narkez (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) at Chantilly in September and that Andre Fabre trainee has subsequently gained a TDN Rising Star tag and heads to Newmarket for Wednesday's nine-furlong Listed Feilden S. Bizakov was not ruling out the prospect of running both in the Poulains. “They are with different trainers, so I might end up with two horses running,” he added. “We'll see what happens on Wednesday and make a plan.”

Trainer Yann Barberot was happy with the effort of the G3 Prix la Rochette winner Beauvatier and said, “It was an excellent performance for his first time over a mile on very soft ground. The winner had the benefit of a previous run and was not for catching after leading.”

Pedigree Notes
Ramadan's dam Raushan, a 400,000gns Tatts Book 1 purchase who stayed a mile and a half, gave an instant return on that pay-out by producing as her first foal the Listed Fleur de Lys S. winner and G3 Hoppings S. runner-up Rasima (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Out of Lady O'Reilly's smart Chiang Mai (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who captured the Blandford S. when it was staged as a group 3 and was runner-up in the G2 Prix Jean de Chaudenay, she is a full-sister to the triple group-winning Chinese White (Ire). Her career highlights included success in the G1 Pretty Polly S. and the Blandford in its current guise as a group 2 event, before producing the G3 Supreme S. runner-up Misty Grey (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
The third dam is the renowned Eljazzi (Artaius), responsible for the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Rafha (GB)
(Kris {GB}) who in turn achieved notoriety as the dam of the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero and significant sire Invicible Spirit (Ire) and his G3 Princess Royal S.-winning half-sister Acts Of Grace (Bahri) who in turn threw Make Believe's triple top-level scorer Mishriff (Ire). Rafha's Listed Empress S.-winning daughter Massarra (GB) (Danehill) also proved herself an excellent producer with six black-type winners including Galileo's G2 Superlative S.-winning sire Gustav Klimt (Ire). Raushan's 2-year-old filly is by Showcasing (GB).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE FONTAINEBLEAU-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-14, 3yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:43.18, vs.
1–RAMADAN (FR), 128, c, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
     1st Dam: Raushan (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Chiang Mai (Ire), by Sadler=s Wells
     3rd Dam: Eljazzi (Ire), by Artaius
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Sumbe (FR); T-Christopher Head; J-Aurelien Lemaitre. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, €99,975. *1/2 to Rasima (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), SW & GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Beauvatier (Fr), 128, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Enchanting Skies (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire).
TDN Rising Star. (€160,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Philippe Allaire & Haras d'Etreham; B-Ecurie des Monceaux, Qatar Bloodstock Ltd & Mme Barbara M Keller (FR); T-Yann Barberot. €16,000.
3–Grey Man (Fr), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Top Toss (Ire), by Linamix (Fr). (€39,000 RNA Wlg '21 ARQDEC; €60,000 RNA Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O-Julien Dubois & Jean-Philippe Dubois; B-Ecurie Skymarc Farm; T-Patrice Cottier. €12,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, SNK. Odds: 1.50, 1.70, 14.00.
Also Ran: Zabiari (GB), Metropolitan (Fr), Ten Horns (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Justify and O’Brien Dominate Guineas Entries

The entries for the first two Classics of the season have been released, with 49 horses entered in each of the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Qipco 1,000 Guineas.

The colts will line up at Newmarket on Saturday, May 4 when it is likely that much of the attention will focus on the unbeaten City Of Troy (Justify), who at this stage is the ante-post favourite for the 2,000 Guineas. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, he has left Ireland for two of his three starts to win the G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket's July Course followed by the G1 Dewhurst S. on the Rowley Mile.

City Of Troy's stable-mate Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of the 1,000 Guineas winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is currently second-favourite and is one of eight entries in the race for the Ballydoyle stable. The other two Irish-trained entries are the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), trained by Adrian Murray, and Jim Bolger's unraced Clean Energy (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}).

The G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion (Ire) could become an important first Classic runner for his sire Blue Point (Ire) and represents Richard Hannon Jr., who won the race 10 years ago with Night Of Thunder (Ire) and also has Son (GB) entered this year. He too is by a second-season sire in Too Darn Hot (GB). In that same category is Sons And Lovers (GB), by Study Of Man (Ire), who is one of four entries for Jane Chapple-Hyam, two of which are owned by former trainer Peter Harris.

Charlie Appleby has three colts entered led by the G1 Kameko Futurity Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Saaeed Bin Suroor, who won last year's 1,000 Guineas with Mawj (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), has one of the Godophin quartet, Olympic Candle (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}).

Eve Johnson Houghton has entered Mister Sketch (GB) (Territories {Ire}) for Wathnan Racing and the G3 Acomb S. winner Indian Run (Ire) (Sioux Nation) for the Bronte Collection, while David Menuisier has three colts entered including the G1 Criterium International winner Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}).

Aidan O'Brien is also the trainer of the favourite for the following day's 1,000 Guineas, Opera Singer. Like City Of Troy, she is by Coolmore's American-based sire and Triple Crown winner Justify, and she won last season's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. 

Opera Singer is one of 16 Irish-trained fillies engaged in the race, including eight from her own stable, while Paddy Twomey could have two runners, Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {Ire}) and One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and Natalia Lupini has her first Classic entrant in Kitty Rose (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}). 

Ollie Sangster is another young trainer with a frost Classic hope in Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), along with Amy Murphy, the trainer of Needlepoint (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}).

The G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Fallen Angel (GB) is currently the leading British-trained hope and is one of two entries for her trainer Karl Burke along with Darnation (Ire). Both fillies are by Too Darn Hot. Fallen Angel represents Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics, which also has the William Haggas-trained Love Dynasty (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) engaged in the 1,000 Guineas.

Among the four fillies entered from the John and Thady Gosden stable is Cheveley Park Stud's Listed winner Regal Jubilee (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Christopher Head is the sole French trainer with an entry and she is another daughter of Justify, Ramatuelle, who was only narrowly beaten by Vandeek (GB) in the G1 Prix Morny. 

 

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Guineas Options Open for Ramatuelle

Christopher Head won his first Classic last season with Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and he is now eyeing a possible run un the Qipco 1,000 Guineas for Ramatuelle (Justify), who was the top-rated juvenile in France in 2023.

The winner of the G2 Prix Robert Papin, and runner-up in the G1 Prix Morny, Ramatuelle is also entered for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and she will begin her preparations for the Classics in Deauville on April 9.

“Ramatuelle has been a tremendous filly for us as a two-year-old and we are now preparing her for pretty much the mile programme in France, but not only in France, in the UK too,” said Head.

“We're looking all over Europe to make the best programme for her as a three-year-old. [Newmarket] is of course a possibility, but at the end of the day her owner will decide where she will run.

“She's going to go to the Prix Imprudence and then from there we will see where we go. To be a successful miler is the main objective this year.

“I think Ramatuelle is a really nice filly and Justify has proven he can sire very versatile horses. I'm very happy to have her at three and can't wait to see what she is going to do for us in the mile races this year.”

Ramatuelle, like Blue Rose Cen and fellow Group 1 winner Big Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), was bred by Yeguada Centurion but she was sold as a yearling to a syndicate involving Tony Parker's Infinity Nine Horses and Ecurie des Monceaux. While Blue Rose Cen has been moved over the winter to the stable of Maurizio Guarnieri, Big Rock remains under Head's care. 

He said of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. winner, “Big Rock is brilliant and has done very well over the winter. He will have a nice programme in Europe and we will be able to come over to the UK again.

“I will speak with the owners before saying anything about where he is going to start, but don't worry the horse is doing very well and we're very happy with his training. We can't wait to see him back on track.”

 

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Blue Rose Cen Switched from Head to Guarnieri

Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), the joint-top-rated 3-year-old filly in Europe last year and a Group 1 winner in both of her seasons to race, has been moved from the stable of Christopher Head to that of his fellow Chantilly trainer Maurizio Guarnieri. The news was first reported by Jour de Galop. 

Blue Rose Cen races in the colours of her breeder Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals of Yeguada Centurion, who, along with Head, also had the second-top-rated horse in Europe last year in Big Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). The G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. winner was given a mark of 127, just a pound below Ace Impact (Ire) and Mostahdaf (Ire), in the official Longines and IFHA World rankings, which were announced on Tuesday in London. Furthermore, Yeguada Centurion also bred France's top-rated juvenile, Ramatuelle (Justify), who is trained by Head for Tony Parker's Infinity Nine Horses.

“Yeguada Centurion has expressed the desire to entrust some horses to a new trainer,” Head told Jour de Galop. “This is why Blue Rose Cen joined Maurizio Guarnieri's stable. It was a real pleasure to train Blue Rose Cen for two years. She gave my team and me incredible emotions, and I hope she will do the same for her new trainer.”

The Italian-born Guarnieri, trainer of G2 Prix du Calvados winner Wed (Fr) (Profitable {Ire}) prior to her departure to the States, has taken charge of 10 horses for Yeguada Centurion, including seven juveniles. This brings his number of horses in training to 48. 

Head, who finished fourth in the French trainers' championship for 2023, is listed as having 22 horses in training for Yeguada Centurion, half of which are two-year-olds, among the 103 horses registered to his stable with France Galop.

 

 

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