Manduro’s Iresine Best In Strong Ganay

Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay was as strong as any in recent times and there was no fluke about the victory of Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}–Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who provided trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvain and jockey Marie Velon with a once-in-a-lifetime moment at ParisLongchamp. Carrying a penalty for his G1 Prix Royal Oak success when an eye-catching second to Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here three weeks previously, the 4-1 shot was anchored in last early with the pace generous. Delivered with perfect timing down the outer to overhaul the battling duo Simca Mille and Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) inside the final 100 metres, the dark bay who was the joint-oldest in the line-up at six asserted to reverse the d'Harcourt form by 1 1/4 lengths, as Bay Bridge fared best of the seasonal debutantes a head away in third. The returning G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) was fourth, 1 1/2 lengths behind.

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Ganay Exam For Vadeni

Six months on from his near-miss in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) returns to ParisLongchamp on Sunday for what amounts to a stern test in the G1 Prix Ganay. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse hero has a surprise awaiting him in James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's G1 Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), who was impressive on his seasonal debut in 2022 when taking the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. Ballylinch Stud also have a significant involvement in Al Shaqab Racing's high-class G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while Haras de la Perelle and Stephane Wattel's Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and even Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) are hard to leave out of the picture with a run under their belts when first and second in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here Apr. 9. That could be the way of things in 2023, with so many talented older horses remaining in training to provide reliable markers in these important contests.

Christophe Soumillon is well aware of the level of opposition to Vadeni. “He worked quite well on Tuesday, we all know the horse isn't 100% fit and it is the first run of the season,” he said. “He's going to have a tough season, for sure, we couldn't believe the Ganay would be that strong. I have been doing this job for 25 years now and I haven't seen a Ganay with so many group one horses. It's like a strong Champion S. race. We're not going to give him a hard race, as his targets are at Ascot and the Irish Champion and the Arc. We know he likes soft ground and even heavy and is very versatile.”

James Wigan said of Bay Bridge, who had been entered in the eventually-abandoned G3 Gordon Richards S. this week, “Sandown was our original thought, but then he would have carried a penalty for being a Group 1 winner after August, so being seven pounds worse off with Adayar (Ire) would have meant he would have a hard race at any rate, so we felt he might as well have a hard race in a group one as in a Group 3. There will be the usual pattern of races for him. I'm sure Sir Michael knows where he'll want to go, but this is a good spot to begin.”

La Parisienne Returns

On a day of welcoming back, Peter Bradley's G1 Prix de Diane runner-up La Parisienne (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) who was also third in the G1 Prix Vermeille and disappointing in the Opera makes her seasonal bow in the card's G3 Prix Allez France Longines. This is a chance to start anew for the talented 4-year-old, who is another prize ride for Soumillon who has taken France by storm so far this year.

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Burrows Update On Return Of Shadwell Talent

Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), winner of the G2 Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp last out on Oct. 1, is due to make his first start of his 5-year-old campaign soon, trainer Owen Burrows confirmed on Wednesday.

“He's good, he's in strong work. I've made an entry for him in the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup and he'll also have an entry for those two group races in France–the [G1 Prix] Ganay and the [G1] Prix d'Ispahan. One is at the end of April and one's at the end of May.”

The gelding began last year with a half-length success in the John Smith's Cup on July 9 at York and then landed a win in the G3 Betfred Rose Of Lancaster S. by four lengths at Haydock on Aug. 6.

Burrows went on to say, “You've got Group 3s at Sandown–Gordon Richards and the Brigadier Gerard–but he'd have a Group 2 penalty in those, so I think if we're happy and he's showing all the right signs at home, then why not have a crack?”

As for other members of the Shadwell lineup in his care, plans for the return of Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the G1 Coronation Cup over Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) last June, are also under advisement. A hind leg injury ended the full-brother to Baaeed (GB)'s year, but after a successful operation, he began the rehabilitation process. A bid later this year for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe could be feasible.

“I was speaking to Angus [Gold, Shadwell racing manager] about a month ago about whether we'd be brave enough to go back to Epsom first time out, but we're probably not,” said Burrows.

“We'll probably have a prep run somewhere in May, with a view to the main target being the [G2] Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot and then the races are all pretty mapped out for him. The good thing with him is that he's shown a preference for going on soft ground, so it's lovely to think he'd be turning up in France in October. He's rehabbed well and Sheikha Hissa was quite keen to give him another chance.”

Burrows also provided an update on Alflaila (GB) Dark Angel {Ire}), who scored a trio of listed and Group 3 victories at the end of last season before sustaining a fracture to his left fetlock. That ruled him out for a Bahrain run in November, but he is making strides with his recovery and is expected back soon.

“Alflaila is still back at Shadwell, I had an update a few weeks ago and he was back cantering,” he said. “I'm hoping he'll be back with me next week or the week after at the latest.”

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Vadeni Versus Luxembourg Likely In Prix Ganay

Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), the Aga Khan's 2022 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up, is likely to renew his rivalry in an early-season rematch with Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Prix Ganay after connections confirmed that is his most likely target on Wednesday.

In last year's G1 Irish Champion S., it was the Aidan O'Brien trainee Luxembourg who struck first by beating Jean-Claude Rouget's charge over soft ground at Leopardstown on Sept. 10. With even more give in the ground a month later, the Aga Khan colt was second to Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Arc, while the Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor and Smith-owned colt finished seventh.

Aga Khan racing manager Georges Rimaud said “Vadeni is training ok, he is going to run in the Prix Ganay and we'll see from there.”

He added when asked about the rematch, “That is what we are hoping for anyway. I don't know if it will be exciting or what, but it will be interesting.”

Another Aga Khan-owned colt set for his 2023 debut is Vadeni's stablemate Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). The now-4-year-old won four of his five starts when last seen, including a victory in the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein during Arc weekend.

“Erevann is the same–he is also doing well,” said Rimaud. “We'll decide soon where we go with him. He'll run over a mile–he's more of a miler, absolutely.

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