Tag: G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines

A Fourth Group 1 For Night Of Thunder’s Highfield Princess In The Abbaye

   There were some who were preparing to write off John Fairley's mare of steel Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}–Pure Illusion {Ire}, by Danehill) following her uncharacteristically disappointing effort in the G1 Flying Five at The Curragh last month, but the 6-year-old answered the doubters by simply placing another of the world's big sprints onto her impressive resume as she conquered Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines.

While she may not quite be the same supercharged dragster who went through an unprecedented treble at this level in the space of just over a month last summer, the Queen of England's North proved here that when ability drops courage can still elevate.

Working hard from some way out having been cast an unfavourable wide draw, the 2-1 favourite gave her all for Jason Hart to eventually claw back her three-years-younger front-running compatriot Perdika (GB) (Unfortunately {Ire}) inside the last 50 metres and forge a length victory in this “Win and You're In” race for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Ballydoyle's revived G2 Futurity S.-winning TDN Rising Star Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) managed to force his way into the frame, a short head back as the habitual blanket finish occurred again in behind.

“She won that through pure guts,” Hart said of John Quinn's long-overdue first winner at this prestigious meeting. “She was flat out the whole way–the ground is a bit quick, but she has the heart of lion. It was only in the last 50 yards when the leader tied up that I knew we were going to win. I knew she was back to herself when I worked her a week ago and credit to connections for keeping her in training, as she's got another Group 1. What a mare, she's so tough.”

Although Highfield Princess had done nothing wrong in her Group 1s so far this term, with perhaps valid excuses for her Flying Five no-show last time, it was only in Goodwood's G2 King George S. that she had really shone and that aura of invincibility she had taken into the Breeders' Cup in November was gone by the time she lined up for this. For Quinn, the result was a personal triumph after some near-misses on this fixture in previous years.

“We have had plenty of horses run really well at this wonderful meeting–in the Abbaye, El Astronaute was third, Liberty Beach was beaten two heads and Safe Voyage was beaten two heads in the Foret,” he said. “It is one of the greatest meetings in the world and I hoped I would one day train a winner here and it is wonderful.”

“She tries hard and you could say from where she was drawn she was inconvenienced,” he added. “She toughed it into the race and toughed it out of the race, because two furlongs out she was flat out so fair dues to her. It was a very brave decision to keep her in training, considering she had won three Group 1s in Europe and was probably one of the best fillies around. I'm so pleased they have been totally vindicated. She's shown she's as good as any sprinting mare in the world.”

Quinn is looking for a second try at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint following her fourth placing at Keeneland last year. “Why not? I will need to speak to my owner, but I would be strongly suggesting it,” he said. “We needed to see how today went and today went very well. I wouldn't rule out the Breeders' Cup or the big sprint at Hong Kong in December. It's John and his family's decision whether she'll race on next year, but as long as she's okay she could go to Santa Anita or Sha Tin.”

Sally Nicholls, owner-breeder of Perdika, was understandably delighted with the game performance of the rapid runner-up. “Her performance took my breath away. She ran so well,” she said. “Her future certainly lies at stud in 2024. A Group 1 placing changes everything regarding her broodmare profile. She loves France and so do we. Now we're going to crack open our piggy bank and send her to a good stallion.”

Aidan O'Brien was looking ahead with Aesop's Fables, who had spent so long in the wilderness but is back where he was last summer. “He ran really well against horses who had already proved themselves at this level,” he said. “He's blossoming as a sprinter right now. I haven't yet decided where we will be going with him next. One thing's for sure, though and that's that we'll be seeing a lot more of him over five furlongs in the future.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Highfield Princess, who was bred in the Calvados region at the Haras du Camp Benard run by Fabienne Simoes De Almeida and her mother Martine Van De Kerchove, was led out unsold at only 29,000gns when offered at the 2018 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. Fairley had paid just 18,000gns for the dam Pure Illusion from the Godolphin draft two years earlier at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and in the meantime, her son Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}) had captured the G2 July S. and had placed in the G1 Middle Park S., G2 Gimcrack S., G2 Richmond S. and G2 Norfolk S.

Pure Illusion is a daughter of the G3 Princess Margaret S. winner Saintly Speech (Southern Halo), who is also the second dam of the G3 Park Express S. and G3 C. L. Weld Park S. winner Chrysanthemum (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who in turn produced the G3 Sandown Classic Trial scorer Cunco (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and his G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S.-winning full-sister Maxux (Ire). The family also includes the G3 Prix du Calvados winner Woodland Melody (Woodman), whose listed-winning daughter Shady Reflection (Sultry Song) produced the GII Las Vegas Marathon S. and GIII Greenwood Cup scorer Cary Street (Smarty Jones).

 

 

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-1, 2yo/up, 5fT, :55.07, g/s.
1–HIGHFIELD PRINCESS (FR), 133, m, 6, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Pure Illusion (Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saintly Speech, by Southern Halo
3rd Dam: Eloquent Minister, by Deputy Minister
(29,000gns RNA Ylg '18 TATDEY). O/B-Trainers House Enterprises Ltd (FR); T-John Quinn; J-Jason Hart. €199,990. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & Ire, 38-14-8-6, €2,090,889. *1/2 to Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}), GSW & G1SP-Eng, $355,619. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Perdika (GB), 133, f, 3, Unfortunately (Ire)–Golden Dirham (GB), by Kheleyf. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs Sally Nicholls; B-Bumble Bloodstock & Mrs Sally Nicholls (GB); T-George Boughey. €80,010.
3–Aesop's Fables (Ire), 137, c, 3, No Nay Never–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-M Tabor, D Smith, Mrs J Magnier & Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,005.
Margins: 1, SHD, NO. Odds: 2.10, 32.00, 43.00.
Also Ran: Get Ahead (GB), Rogue Lightning (Ire), Makarova (GB), White Lavender (Ire), Kerdos (Ire), Batwan (Fr), Ponntos (Ire), Moss Tucker (Ire), Bouttemont (Ire), Equality (GB), Dramatised (Ire), Tudo Bem (Fr), Equilateral (GB), Art Power (Ire), Asymmetric (Ire). Scratched: Coeur De Pierre (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Cotai Glory’s The Platinum Queen Wins The Abbaye

There had been no 5-year-old mare to win the Arc until just after 4 o'clock on Sunday and no juvenile to prevail in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines since 1978, but both droughts are now officially at an end after Middleham Park Racing's The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) made it happen in the ParisLongchamp sprint.

Atoning for a heartbreaking defeat on her beloved Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the preceding G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines, Hollie Doyle made full use of Richard Fahey's dynamo's relentless pace to shake off all pressure and hold White Lavender (Ire) (Heeraat {Ire}) by a short neck, with Coeur De Pierre (Fr) (Zanzibari) a neck behind in third.

“It was never in doubt really–I thought it was a pretty dominant performance and Hollie said she idled a little bit in the last 100 yards,” Middleham Park Racing's Tom Palin said of the 7-5 favourite. “It was a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup and being a tight northerner, that's great as it means we don't need to pay the entry fee! As long as the filly comes out of it alright, then I think we'll look forward to going to America if they'll have us.”

The Platinum Queen's journey to Paris was not an easy one, with three successes in rapid times involving a juvenile course record-setting win at Goodwood July 27 before meeting Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 19. Second only to that huge talent, the bay stretched Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never) to the limit next time in the Sept. 11 G2 Flying Childers S. at Doncaster, losing out close home and while that peer flattened out next time in the Cheveley Park, The Platinum Queen emerged from that battle stronger.

Shadowing Mo Celita (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) throughout the first 1 1/2 furlongs before her natural speed saw her move on from that compatriot, she was there to be shot at as she has been throughout most of her brief career and as White Lavender loomed late, a gallant surrender would have been excusable. Despite lugging towards the rail as the line neared, the 2-year-old refused to buckle and was extending again yards after the finish.

Clifford Lee said of White Lavender, “We were a bit unlucky, because we were giving away so much weight to the winner. My horse was very brave to have run such a race because we went extremely fast.”

Coeur de Pierre's trainer Mauricio Delcher Sanchez added, “There is nothing else he could have done and he had an excellent trip through the race. We have finished third and we are happy, his year is finished now. He will go off for a break to Haras de Grandcamp, where he was born. We will hopefully have him back in April to prepare for a new season.”

Pedigree Notes

The Platinum Queen, who becomes the first Group 1 winner for her second-crop sire, is the first runner for the dam Thrilled (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who is kin to the listed-placed The Gold Cheongsam (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}). The second dam is the listed-placed Fuerta Ventura (Ire) (Desert Sun {GB}), who is in turn a half to the Listed Ripon Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy winner and G2 Mill Reef S. runner-up Sir Xaar (Ire) (Xaar {GB}). From the family of the dual G1 Irish St Leger hero Oscar Schindler (Ire) (Royal Academy), Thrilled's yearling colt by Galileo Gold (GB) was a £170,000 purchase by Richard Spencer for Phil Cunningham at last month's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, while she also has a colt foal by the same sire.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-2, 2yo/up, 5fT, :58.65, vsf.
1–THE PLATINUM QUEEN (IRE), 116, f, 2, by Cotai Glory (GB)
1st Dam: Thrilled (Ire), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Fuerta Ventura (Ire), by Desert Sun (GB)
3rd Dam: Cradle Brief (Ire), by Brief Truce
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (57,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRG). O-Middleham Park Racing XV; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey; J-Hollie Doyle. €199,990. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 7-4-2-0, €411,679. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–White Lavender (Ire), 133, f, 4, Heeraat (Ire)–Goodnight And Joy (Ire), by Rip Van Winkle (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs Barbara M Keller; B-Paul McCartan (IRE); T-Karl Burke. €80,010.
3–Coeur De Pierre (Fr), 137, g, 6, Zanzibari–Twilight Tear (GB), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€47,000 Ylg '17 OSASEP). O-Ecurie Pandora Racing & Ahmed Mouknass; B-Haras de Grandcamp EARL (FR); T-Mauricio Delcher Sanchez. €40,005.
Margins: SNK, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.40, 30.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Mo Celita (Ire), Moss Tucker (Ire), New York City (Ire), Ponntos (Ire), Mitbaahy (Ire), Raasel (GB), Flotus (Ire), Teresa Mendoza (Ire), Caturra (Ire), Miramar (GB), A Case Of You (Ire), Mooneista (Ire), Agiato (GB), Berneuil (Ire), Tees Spirit (GB). Scratched: Castle Star (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Abbaye Glory For Hot Streak’s A Case Of You

Fast-becoming renowned for his lethal finishing kick, Gary Devlin's A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) had just missed out in the G1 Flying Five but the line was there in time for him in Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November.

Having only his second start at this five-furlong trip, the 3-year-old who was supplemented following his Curragh flourish on Irish Champions Weekend needed every centimetre of it to break the heart of the runaway Air de Valse (Fr) (Mesnil Des Aigles {Fr}) and prevail by a short head. Kept in the hunt by Ronan Whelan racing amongst the pack early, the 10-1 shot matched his rider's tenacity in carving out enough space to begin his pursuit of Corine Barande-Barbe's ParisLongchamp specialist who had shrugged off Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) on the front end passing two out. It was desperate stuff entering the closing stages, with the 48-1 looking set to cling on but the star of the Adrian McGuinness yard pointed his head out for the mirror and had it there marginally ahead for the judge. Nothing else was able to close out of the main bunch and there was a yawning five-length margin back to Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead), who had won this in 2019 and was second last year, while the 5-2 favourite Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was a laboured fifth. “When he was second in the Flying Five he was my first ever runner in a group 1 and we supplemented him for this race last week because I knew he'd improve,” trainer “Ado” explained. “He was a three-grand yearling and a very cheap horse–I just can't believe it.”

Coming to the fore when taking The Curragh's re-arranged G3 Anglesey S. in October for trainer John McConnell, A Case of You the G3 Goffs Lacken S. showed he was no flash-in-the-pan on his seasonal return when comprehensively accounting for the subsequent black-type scorers Logo Hunter (Ire) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) and Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in a six-furlong conditions event at Dundalk Mar. 19. Last of 12 trying an extra furlong in the Listed Ballylinch Stud 2000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown Apr. 11, the bay had the eventual G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) back in fourth reverting to six in the G3 Lacken S. at Naas May 16. Only 11th in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, he was third after a break in The Curragh's G3 Phoenix Sprint S. Aug. 8 before his late show against Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven's Pass) in the Sept. 12 Flying Five.

“He's just got better and better and I think he'll be a very good horse next year,” McGuinness said. “He's thriving and I knew he was right today–he wasn't when he ran in the Commonwealth Cup. I have a good sprinter that won the other night and he can't lay up with this horse. Ronan's a world-class jockey and I told him not to panic, as I knew he'd stay really well. He'll be better on better ground and we'll definitely look at the Breeders' Cup. It's either that or we put him away and look at Dubai in the spring–he's definitely going to travel.”

Barande-Barbe had to suffer the dejection of losing out so late in the game, having looked certain to prevail with her homebred Air de Valse whose efforts over this strip include a win in the 2020 G3 Prix du Petit Couvert when she had beaten last year's Abbaye hero Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). “It is so frustrating to lose by so little, as to win a group 1 race changes the life of a trainer,” she said. “I'm so proud of my filly–Longchamp is her garden.”

A Case of You, who becomes the first group 1 winner for his Haras d'Annebault-based sire, is out of Karjera (Ire) (Key of Luck) who is a full-sister to the Listed Rochestown S. winner Akanti (Ire) and to Lock and Key (Ire) who was placed in the GIII Las Cienegas H., the G3 Brownstown S., G3 Round Tower S. and G3 International S. From the family of the GII Delaware H. winner Summer Wind Dancer (Siberian Summer) and the GIII All American H. and G3 Diomed S.-winning sire Bluegrass Prince (Ire), Karjera's unraced 2-year-old filly by Alhebayeb (Ire) is named Ali Babes (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-3, 2yo/up, 5fT, :58.02, hy.
1–A CASE OF YOU (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Hot Streak (Ire)
     1st Dam: Karjera (Ire), by Key of Luck
     2nd Dam: Lock's Heath, by Topsider
     3rd Dam: Lock's Dream, by Youth
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€3,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-Gary Devlin; B-Limestone and Tara Studs (IRE); T-Adrian McGuinness; J-Ronan Whelan. €199,990. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Ire, 10-5-1-2, $345,390. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Air de Valse (Fr), 133, m, 5, Mesnil des Aigles (Fr)–Air Bag (Fr), by Poliglote (GB). O/B/T-Corine Barande-Barbe (FR). €80,010.
3–Glass Slippers (GB), 133, m, 5, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O/B-Bearstone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. €40,005.
Margins: SHD, 5, SHD. Odds: 10.80, 48.00, 5.60.
Also Ran: Mo Celita (Ire), Suesa (Ire), Ponntos (Ire), O Trasno (Fr), Winter Power (Ire), Lady In France (GB), Romantic Proposal (Ire), Pradaro (Fr), Wild Majesty (Ire), Dandalla (Ire), Berneuil (Ire). Scratched: Urban Beat (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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