Farhh’s Atlast Takes The Prix La Force

Demonstrating a precocity that belies his title, the Wertheimers' Atlast (Fr) (Farhh {GB}–Pitamore, by More Than Ready) mastered more experienced rivals in Sunday's G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp to exit to the sound of Classic talk. Coming into the nine-furlong test with two juvenile runs at Chantilly to his name and one win over 7 1/2 furlongs on the Polytrack in October, the 11-2 shot was content to track the leaders under Maxime Guyon throughout the early stages. Sweeping to the front with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, the Christophe Ferland-trained homebred asserted to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Mondo Man (GB) (Mondialiste {Ire}).

“He is obviously a very nice horse and it's nice to start the season like this,” Ferland said. “He had very good promise in his two runs last year and the target is the Prix du Jockey Club. We will see which route we take to get there depending how he comes out of this one. I have no doubt he will stay further, but the French 2000 [Poule d'Essai des Poulains] could be a possibility in between. We'll talk to the jockey to get his view and we'll decide in time. The ground is very testing, but he did it well and now he's proved he can go on this ground. He has trained well on the all-weather, so I have no worries about the ground in the future. He's probably a very good horse who can go on any ground.”

Ferland, who has recently relocated to Chantilly from La Teste de Buch, said of his move,”It was hard to organise and at the beginning of the year it was a bit difficult. I didn't have as many runners as I have done in the past, but we are trying to concentrate on quality more than on quantity and now everything is looking alright.”

Pedigree Notes
Atlast is out of the Listed Prix la Camargo runner-up Pitamore (More Than Ready), a daughter of the GIII Valley View S.-placed Pitamakan (Danzig) who also produced the G3 Prix de Barbeville-winning stayer Funny Kid (Lemon Drop Kid). From the family of the champion Althea (Alydar) which includes the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and GIII Runhappy S. winner Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}), she also has a filly foal by Blame.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX LA FORCE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-7, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 2:05.13, vhy.
1–ATLAST (FR), 128, c, 3, by Farhh (GB)
1st Dam: Pitamore (SP-Fr), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Pitamakan, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Vantive, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (FR); T-Christophe Ferland; J-Maxime Guyon. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, €66,500. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mondo Man (GB), 126, c, 3, Mondialiste (Ire)–Moghrama (Ire), by Harbour Watch (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€30,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-Ecuries Serge Stempniak , Pia Brandt & Nils-Petter Gill; B-Elwick Stud (GB); T-Pia & Joakim Brandt. €16,000.
3–First Look (Ire), 128, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Bilissie (GB), by Dansili (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€340,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Ecurie Ama.Zingteam; B-Haras de la Perelle (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 5.70, 11.00, 7.90.
Also Ran: Saganti (Fr), Sunway (Fr), De Sica (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Classic Dreams In The Balance On Sunday

Sunday sees a swing in the momentum towards the more meaningful Flat action of 2024, with Leopardstown–which has to survive an early-morning inspection–and ParisLongchamp staging a host of Classic trials. Ballydoyle's wheels are really set in motion at the former venue, with several of their promising 3-year-olds ready to be unleashed in the card's trio of preps including the 10-furlong G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S.

It is in that early Derby pointer that Rosegreen's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and impressive course maiden-winning TDN Rising Star Ocean Of Dreams (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) look to add to the stable's Blue Riband team taking on Vimal Khosla's G2 Beresford S. winner Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) from the Paddy Twomey stable.

“He has a five-pound penalty for his win in the Beresford S. last season, but we're looking forward to running him on Sunday,” Twomey said. “I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths, I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half should be well within his compass.”

Leopardstown also stages the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” S., where Ballydoyle again have two fascinating maiden winners in Samuel Colt (Ire) (No Nay Never) and The Liffey (Ire) (No Nay Never). Both have to meet the standard set by the G3 Killavullan S. one-two Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Bright Stripes (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

The fillies take part in the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” S., where Ballydoyle's course-and-distance maiden winner Buttons (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore tackling Deepone's unbeaten stablemate A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}).

It was in August at The Curragh when A Lilac Rolla managed to upstage the subsequent G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Opera Singer (Justify) and Twomey is hoping that she can restart where she left off. “She beat a very good filly in Opera Singer, she's wintered well and is ready to start,” he said. “The ground conditions may not be ideal, but she's in a good place and this is a good starting point for the season ahead.”

At ParisLongchamp, Guy Pariente,Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's G1 Criterium International hero Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) returns in the nine-furlong G3 Prix la Force. Trainer David Menuisier said, “It is famous last words, but the ground shouldn't be an issue. It will be hard on the horses, but we feel ours goes on it quite good and the trip shouldn't be a problem, so we go there quite positive. Later down the line, we would like to aim at the Prix du Jockey Club, but we need to take races one by one, obviously. We could drop back in trip to run in one of the Guineas or we could go up in trip to run in a Derby trial next month. It will all depend on what happens this weekend and what Oisin and the owners think–and then we will take it from there.”

Also over that trio is the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux for the fillies, where the Head Family's nine-length Saint-Cloud winner La Mandala (Fr) (City Light {Fr}) is tested against some proven peers, while the feature is the G2 Prix d'Harcourt where Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard's G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) takes on Gousserie Racing's multiple group winner and G1 Champion S. third Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}).

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Rock Of Gibraltar’s Big Rock Rallies For Prix La Force Triumph

Yeguada Centurion's 3-year-old colt Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}–Hardiyna {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}), who failed to nose ahead in each of his first three outings, graduated in a Feb. 2 handicap at Chantilly and repeated the dose back there in last month's Mar. 3 Listed Prix Maurice Caillault. Sent forward for a sterner test in Sunday's G3 Prix La Force at ParisLongchamp, he dented a host of lofty reputations with a game performance in the nine-furlong French Derby trial to register a career high. Big Rock was swiftly into stride from the inside stall and dictated proceedings on the front end for the most part. Scrubbed along when headed by 'TDN Rising Star' Padishakh (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) passing the quarter-mile marker, the 19-5 chance rallied gamely to reclaim control approaching the final furlong and kept on strongly in the latter stages to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths. Ballydoyle raider Greenland (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) ran on with gusto inside the final quarter-mile to finish a head adrift of Padishakh at the line.

“It was our intention to take advantage of his inside draw,” revealed trainer Christopher Head. “We knew his ability on the all-weather, but there was a question mark about the turf. We didn't want to complicate matters, so making the running was the sensible option and he handled everything with aplomb. He has that ability to set a lively pace and still find an extra gear, which is what you expect from a good horse. Evidently, the [June 4 G1] Prix du Jockey Club [at Chantilly] is the target, but he is not a horse to remain two months without a race. As long as he is well, he will have one more run before the French Derby. Which one has not yet been decided and we will discuss his programme with the owner.”

Pedigree Notes:

Big Rock is the first foal of two foals produced by an unraced daughter of G3 Silver Flash S. victrix and G1 Moyglare Stud S. third Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a half-sister to five black-type performers headed by G1 Derby and G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). The February-foaled dark bay, half to a 2-year-old colt by Ten Sovereigns (Ire), is from the family of last term's G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares victrix and G1 Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), MG1SW G1 Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares winner Seal Of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX LA FORCE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-9, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 1:49.63, g/s.
1–BIG ROCK (FR), 128, c, 3, by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
1st Dam: Hardiyna (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Harasiya (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Hazariya (Ire), by Xaar (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (FR); T-Christopher Head; J-Aurelien Lemaitre. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, €94,650. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Padishakh (Fr), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Penny Lane (Ger), by Lord Of England (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€130,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Haras d'Etreham, Riviera Equine SARL & Ecurie de Montlahuc (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €16,000.
3–Greenland (Ire), 128, c, 3, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)–Aktoria (Fr), by Canford Cliffs (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (160,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 300,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-SCEA Marmion & Alain Jathiere (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: 2HF, HD, 1HF. Odds: 3.80, 1.70, 11.00.
Also Ran: Rashford (Fr), Horizon Dore (Fr), Birr Castle (Fr), Zalamo (Fr), Duc De Kent (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Rouget Lines Up Turf Stars In Paris

ParisLongchamp stages a fascinating card on Sunday as the 2023 campaign moves onwards, with the G2 Prix d'Harcourt featuring a Group 1 winner in Bertrand Milliere's Prix Royal-Oak hero Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). Saddled with a four-pound penalty for his triumph in the marathon test here in October, he has his work cut out dealing with genuine mile-and-a-half performers like Haras de la Perelle and Stephane Wattel's G2 Prix Niel winner Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Al Shaqab Racing's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano scorer Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who closed out his 3-year-old term with a 2 1/2-lengths fourth in the Arc. Al Hakeem is one of Rouget's more talented representatives and while he has some ground to make up on the stable's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), it is not a great deal and he is open to big improvement at four.

A Burgeoning Force?

In the nine-furlong G3 Prix la Force, it is the first reckoning of Rouget's TDN Rising Star Padishakh (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who is untried in black-type company but who looked every bit up to scratch in two conditions races here and at Chantilly in September and October. Nurlan Bizakov's big French hope has his initial encounter with a Ballydoyle runner as the stable continues to spread out its Classic hopefuls. Greenland (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) is the one here and he is rated considerably better than the bare form of his last-of-four effort in the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket in September. Rouget's telling time continues in the G3 Prix Vanteaux over the same trip, where Ecurie Billon's Around Midnight (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) re-opposes Sea The Lady (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) having beaten her in the Listed Criterium de l'Ouest at Craon in September before finishing runner-up in Deauville's G3 Prix des Reservoirs the following month. One of the dark ones is Al Shira'aa Farms' Chantilly maiden winner Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a Carlos Laffon-Parias trainee who is a half to the highly progressive mare Creggs Pipes (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).

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