Tag: G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano

Smooth Return for Ace Impact in the Guillaume D’Ornano

Showing the acceleration that brought him one of the best renewals of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in recent years, Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}–Absolutly Me {Fr}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) comfortably mastered the first test of the 2023 campaign Part II in Tuesday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Reserved by Cristian Demuro with one behind early as stablemate Cambronne (Fr) (Alex The Winner) acted as a 1980's-style pacemaker in isolation, the latest Jean-Claude Rouget luminary delivered his sustained surge down the outer to overwhelm Birr Castle (Fr) (Cloth Of Stars {Ire}) passing the furlong pole and score cosily by 3/4 of a length from Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who denied Birr Castle the runner-up spot by a head.

 

Rightly revered for his rapid closing three furlongs of 34.01 in the Jockey Club, Ace Impact was well off a moderate pace this time as Birr Castle led the main group mainly ignoring the rabbit up ahead. Having gifted that Godolphin-Fabre project and top Irish colt Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) a four-length headstart at the three pole, he roared by them with a finishing burst of 34.69 and a potent 10.92 penultimate split in the bargain. Now it is up to connections as to whether they let him unleash that dramatic flourish on the Derby winner and older horses in the Irish Champion or store it up for the Arc.

Rouget was non-committal either way afterwards. “We will have to discuss his future with the partners–either he will have another race before the Arc or go straight to the big one,” he said. “We will have less pressure on than we did today, as these races are very difficult to call beforehand. There is a lot at stake with a horse that is an undefeated brilliant winner of the Prix du Jockey Club and who has been partly sold since. You don't want to lose, you don't know if the horse still wants to fight, if the race will be tactical, if he is ready enough knowing very well that he is not 100% because that's how I do things.”

“You could see early in the race that he was keen, because he is fresh but once the race went into a good rhythm he relaxed,” the Pau-based maestro added. “He showed the same acceleration and just idled a bit at the end, as he needed the race. “It is a big relief for all the reasons I mentioned.”

Christian Demuro was feeling the release of the pressure afterwards. “It is always emotional when you have an unbeaten horse like this and a great relief to see that he has retained all his ability,” he said. “He gave me some trouble getting him to settle, but he did after a furlong and in the straight he quickened strongly and gave me great vibes. He did idle a bit at the end, maybe because he needed the race but also maybe because he trains there every day and knows by heart where to pull himself up.”

Part-owner Serge Stempniak commented, “I had sold half of him to the Chehboub Family and didn't want them to be disappointed, so there was pressure. It was a very important race for his future at stud in France. I have wonderful partners who are so nice to deal with, so I am delighted with the result. I will let Jean-Claude Rouget make the decision with my partners for his next race. Maybe the Irish Champion would be nice on his CV for his future career, but I will let them decide.”

Pedigree Notes
The dual listed-placed dam Absolutly Me has also produced two other listed-placed performers in Apollo Flight (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Alessandro (Fr) (Australia {GB}). Her family includes the top-class British-trained stalwarts Teleprompter (GB), Ibn Bey (GB) and Roseate Tern (GB) and the talented Red Camellia (GB) (Polar Falcon), who took the G3 Prestige S. and was third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches before producing the G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Red Bloom (GB) (Selkirk). The dam's 2-year-old colt Arrow Eagle (Fr) is by Gleneagles (Ire).

Tuesday, Deauville, France
PRIX GUILLAUME D'ORNANO-G2, €400,000, Deauville, 8-15, 3yo, 10fT, 2:07.59, g/s.
1–ACE IMPACT (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Cracksman (GB)
1st Dam: Absolutly Me (Fr) (SP-Fr & Ger), by Anabaa Blue (GB)
2nd Dam: Tadawul, by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Barakat (GB), by Bustino (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€75,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Gousserie Racing & Ecuries Serge Stempniak; B-Mme Waltraut Spanner (IRE); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €228,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, 5-5-0-0, €1,139,100. *1/2 to Apollo Flight (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), MSP-Fr, $139,492; and Alessandro (Fr) (Australia {GB}), SP-Fr, $111,837. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Al Riffa (Fr), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Love On My Mind (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (€31,000 Wlg '20 ARQDEC; 150,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah; B-Haras d'Etreham, Benoit Chalmel, Cofinvest & Meridian International SARL (FR); T-Joseph O'Brien. €88,000.
3–Birr Castle (Fr), 128, c, 3, Cloth Of Stars (Ire)–Baki (Fr), by Turtle Bowl (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€170,000 Ylg '21 ARQOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Francois Rohaut (FR); T-Andre Fabre. €42,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 2. Odds: 0.40, 5.50, 11.00.
Also Ran: Greenland (Ire), Cambronne (Fr), Ponty (Fr), Victoria Road (Ire), Straight (Ger). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Deauville: All Eyes on Ace Impact in the Guillaume D’Ornano

Some water has passed under the bridge since we last had the privilege of seeing Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}), but all that has really happened has been the strengthening of his aura and it is with great anticipation that Deauville welcomes him back from his mini-break in Tuesday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. While the clock suggested at the time that Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak's representative had produced something special in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, subsequent events have proven that his performance in that 10 1/2-furlong Chantilly Classic was the real mccoy.

Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who got closest to him at a respectable 3 1/2-length deficit, beat all bar Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on Sunday, the fourth home Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) produced a display out of the top drawer himself in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and the fifth Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) managed to overturn Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) at Goodwood, so the Jockey Club form looks at least the equal of the Derby and even possibly better at this stage.

Jean-Claude Rouget is charting a path to the Arc, with the potential of a trip to Leopardstown, and Gousserie's Pauline Chehboub is hoping the dream continues. “Ace Impact is in good form and should run well tomorrow,” she said. “We are targeting some exciting group ones in the autumn, so tomorrow's race is important.”

Joseph and Aidan O'Brien provide a trio of opponents headed by Ballydoyle's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who met with a setback in the spring and missed the Classics as a result. While he will probably need the outing, it is worth remembering that he beat Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the Listed Criterium du FEE at this track 12 months ago and this could be the start of a big autumn for him too. Joseph saddles Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who is even more lightly-raced at this stage of his career while if Gestut Karlshof's Straight (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) is the one who dismissed Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}) in the 11-furlong G2 Union-Rennen at Cologne in June and not the one who subsequently flopped in the G1 Deutsches Derby he is interesting in this.

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Siyouni’s Al Hakeem Annexes The Guillaume d’Ornano

Bouncing back off a fourth in June's G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, Al Shaqab's homebred 3-year-old colt Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}–Jadhaba {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was all heart and regained the winning thread in Monday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. The January-foaled bay closed his two-race juvenile campaign with a breakthrough success at Chantilly and doubled his win tally back there on seasonal return before earning his black-type stripes contesting the May 3 Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly in his penultimate start. The even-money favourite was a shade keen through the initial strides and settled into a smooth rhythm tracking the leaders in fourth for the most part. Looming large on the bridle turning for home, he seized a narrow advantage passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven out, despite drifting towards the far-side rail, to subdue the persistent G2 Prix Noailles victor Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) by a half length in game fashion. Lady Bamford's homebred G3 Prix de Conde runner-up True Testament (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) kept on well in the closing stages to finish 3/4-of-a-length adrift in third.

“He ran a very good race in the [G1 Prix du] Jockey Club, he's definitely a Group 1 horse and he will win a Group 1 one day,” insisted trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. “It could be this year or next year, so I hope he stays in training as a 4-year-old. This was a good race for him and he won easily in the end. He's a backward horse, but he's strong and I think the best is yet to come. I think he will stay a mile-and-a-half, but we'll see. I'll discuss plans with the Al Shaqab team and maybe the [G1 Prix de l'] Arc [de Triomphe is a possibility. He could go straight there, but I won't be alone in coming to that decision.”

Al Hakeem is the second of three foals and one of two scorers produced by G3 Prix Penelope placegetter Jadhaba (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is one of six winners and the leading representative of GI E.P. Taylor S. third Naissance Royale (Ire) (Giant's Causeway), herself a half-sister to G2 Sun Chariot S. and G3 Musidora S. placegetter Spinnette (Ire) (Spinning World). Descendants of Spinette include stakes-winning GII Beverly Hills H. third Green Lyons (Ire) (Green Desert) and dual Grade III placegetter Tarrip (Green Desert). The January-foaled homebred bay is half to a 2-year-old filly by Kingman (GB).

Monday, Deauville, France
PRIX GUILLAUME D'ORNANO-G2, €400,000, Deauville, 8-15, 3yo, 10fT, 2:07.58, g/s.
1–AL HAKEEM (GB), 128, c, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Jadhaba (Ire) (GSP-Fr), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Naissance Royale (Ire), by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Net Worth, by Forty Niner
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Al Shaqab Racing (GB); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €228,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0, €371,350. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Junko (GB), 128, g, 3, Intello (Ger)–Lady Zuzu (MGSP-US, $112,615), by Dynaformer. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €88,000.
3–True Testament (Ire), 128, c, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–To Eternity (GB), by Galileo (Ire). O/B-Lady Bamford (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €42,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, HF. Odds: 1.00, 6.40, 10.00.
Also Ran: Vagalame (Ire), Missed The Cut, Hauran (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Al Hakeem The Monday Attraction

Held in the highest regard by Jean-Claude Rouget, Al Shaqab Racing's Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) puts that on the line in Monday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Impressive in the Listed Prix de Suresnes over this 10-furlong trip at

Chantilly May 3, the homebred was one of the few fancied contenders compromised by a wide draw when fourth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly June 5. That form has subsequently been boosted by those who finished either side of him, Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and he should have a class edge over the June 18 Golden Gates S. winner Missed The Cut (Quality Road) and the Fabre pair True Testament (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}).

Al Shaqab also have the June 12 Listed Prix Volterra winner Samahram (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in the G3 Prix de Lieurey, where she re-opposes the G3 Oak Tree S. winner Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) having been a luckless third behind her in that seven-furlong Goodwood contest July 27.

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