St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) had sidestepped the G1 2000 Guineas in favour of ParisLongchamp's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains and the decision paid off handsomely on Sunday as the Ballydoyle colt made his mark in the testing conditions. Whether the ground put paid to the chance of the Newmarket Classic hero Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is uncertain, but he appeared to be struggling some way out as Ioritz Mendizabal swooped to conquer on the G1 Dewhurst S. winner. Despite one moment when he was squeezed after the first two furlongs, the winner enjoyed an ideal trip wide out of trouble in mid-division and had dead aim at the leaders once straightened for home. Picking up to swamp the 80-1 outsider Colosseo (Street Boss) passing the furlong pole, the 4-1 shot readily asserted under hand riding before idling en route to a 1 3/4-length defeat of that rival, with Breizh Eagle (Fr) (Bow Creek {Ire}) a short neck away in third. Poetic Flare's Classic double dream had died halfway up the straight, but the Bolger homebred rallied to be sixth and was beaten only around two lengths in total. “I talked to Aidan this morning and he told me he thought the horse would stay as he has the [G1 Prix du] Jockey Club in mind,” Mendizabal said of the winner, who was bringing up a rare Classic double for the dam Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) following the exploits of his half-brother Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) at Newmarket in 2019. “He didn't break as fast as I expected, but he travelled well and quickened very nicely in the straight. There is no doubt in my mind that he will stay the Jockey Club trip. It's a great honour to win this for the Coolmore team–I have been blessed with spare rides like this.”
Bought for 1.3million gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale, St Mark's Basilica was introduced over six furlongs at The Curragh and caught the eye when second in late July. Back over the same course and distance for the G1 Phoenix S. a fortnight later, he attracted notable support into 7-2 favouritism despite his inexperience. While unable to meet such lofty expectations at that stage of his career, the bay was nevertheless a respectable fifth behind Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and went back over the same track and trip to shed his maiden tag on soft ground later that month. Third behind Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) upped a furlong for the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. back there in September, he again had his favoured cut underfoot when upstaging that duo in the Dewhurst in October.
Due to the turning nature of this Classic and the effect of the draw, there can sometimes be hard-luck stories but there was very little to suggest that St Mark's Basilica was not clear-best in this renewal with few excuses for the beaten horses in behind. Now that the first leg of the Poulains-Jockey Club double is in the bag, Aidan O'Brien could target the second at Chantilly June 6 but is also considering the June 15 G1 St James's Palace S. “He has an option to go to Ascot, or go back for the French Derby,” he said. “The original plan was that he would go there and back for the French Derby. He's been working lovely and you saw the way he progressed through last year. They all couldn't go to Newmarket and when he was to go to France last year, we said we'd stick that way.” Poetic Flare's jockey Kevin Manning was not entirely sure why the 5-2 favourite failed to fire and said, “I got a lovely position, but he just didn't pick up for whatever reason. Maybe it's ground-related, I don't know.”
Colosseo was the surprise package of the race, with the maiden's best form coming when second to Parchemin (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in Deauville's Listed Prix Isonomy in October and third in what has turned out to be a key course-and-distance conditions event won by Breizh Eagle last time Apr. 22. Trainer Gianluca Bietolini said, “I've always liked this horse, but he was not quite at ease on the all-weather this year and wasn't quite ready last time, still being a little bit too heavy. I was certain I had a great chance when I saw him in the paddock today, because he was fit and the ground was not as bad as I thought it would be. I just didn't know about the foreign horses, but it was a great performance especially considering he didn't quite stay the mile. He's a horse that likes very, very soft ground. He's an atypical US-bred! Seven or seven and a half would be better for him, so I'll talk to his owners and make a plan.”
The Senonnes-Pouance-based trainer Joel Boisnard said of Breizh Eagle, “He ran freely during the race, but ran a blinder despite his inexperience. He's a colt on an upward curve and one that is going to progress still. He needs to sharpen up and I think he will be kept to a mile. The ground didn't bother him, but he will certainly be even better on good ground. In his last piece of work at Senonnes, you could see that he was grinding away on those parts of the track which were soft.”
Picked up for 600,000gns out of the 2011 Tattersalls December Sale by BBA Ireland's Adrian Nicoll, Cabaret usually spends her time at Norelands Stud. However, the dual Classic producer is currently billeted at Hazelwood Stud where she foaled a Kingman (GB) colt this spring. She is back in foal to that Juddmonte resident.
As outlined, St Mark's Basilica is a half-brother to the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Futurity Trophy hero Magna Grecia, with the G3 Silver Flash S.-winning dam Cabaret a half to the G3 Solario S. scorer Drumfire (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and the stakes scorer Ho Choi (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) who was also runner-up in the G2 Gimcrack S. The third dam Fife (Ire) (Lomond), who was third in the Listed Lupe S., is also the second dam of the G3 Park S. winner and G1 Moyglare S. runner-up Ugo Fire (Ire) (Bluebird). This is the family of the GI Hollywood Turf Cup hero Frenchpark (GB) (Foolshome) and the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}). Cabaret's as-yet unraced 2-year-old full-brother to St Mark's Basilica is named Paris Lights (Ire), while she also has a colt foal by Kingman (GB).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
EMIRATES POULE D'ESSAI DES POULAINS-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-16, 3yo, c, 8fT, 1:40.15, vsf.
1–ST MARK'S BASILICA (FR), 128, c, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Cabaret (Ire) (GSW-Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Witch of Fife, by Lear Fan
3rd Dam: Fife (Ire), by Lomond
(1,300,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Robert Scarborough (FR); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ioritz Mendizabal. €342,840. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Colt-Eur, G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, 6-3-1-1, €671,656. *1/2 to Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 7-9.5f & MG1SW-Eng, $597,769. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Colosseo, 128, c, 3, Street Boss–Alluvial Gold (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). ($52,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Albert Frassetto, John d'Amato & Richard Marini; B-T/C Stable LLC (KY); T-Gianluca Bietolini. €137,160.
3–Breizh Eagle (Fr), 128, c, 3, Bow Creek (Ire)–Breizh Touch (Fr), by Country Reel. O-Gerard Augustin-Normand, Mme Roland Perron & Haras des Evees; B-Haras des Evees & Daniel Cherdo (FR); T-Joel Boisnard. €68,580.
Margins: 1 3/4, SNK, HD. Odds: 4.10, 80.00, 13.00.
Also Ran: Policy of Truth (Fr), Parchemin (Ire), Poetic Flare (Ire), Normandy Bridge (Fr), Sealiway (Fr), Prince Lancelot (GB), Easter (Fr), Mehmento (Ire), Summiter (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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