12 Questions: Pauline Chehboub

First job in the Thoroughbred industry?

Actually, my first job in the Thoroughbred industry is my current one, manager of our racing operation.

Biggest influence on your career?

Without hesitation, my dad from the beginning. I have a very high regard for him, and for what he has done. He is a self-made man.

Favourite racehorse of all time, and why?

Miesque, she had everything. A magnificent racehorse with a sturdy character, and in addition, she was a wonderful mare.

Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023?

Ten Sovereigns. His first yearlings were impressive at the sales, a mix of power and tenacity. He was a superb, unbeaten 2-year-old.

Greatest race in the world?

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is such a historical race. Super popular and hard to win.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

Maybe a top-class jockey like Mickael Barzalona (a very good friend) to feel his sensations. It must be a lot of adrenaline on a big day like Arc day or the Dubai World Cup.

Emerging talent in the industry (human)?

I would say Christopher Head, it runs in the family. For his first season as trainer, he has already trained a Group 1 winner. That is just the beginning for him.

Name a horse TDN should have made a Rising Star, and didn't?

Horizon Dore. An unbeaten two-year-old and very, very impressive.

Under-the-radar stallion?

Intello, he has done a really good job so far. Fantastic racehorse, superb pedigree, already produced Group 1 winners. And at €8,000 for 2023.

Friday night treat?

Popcorn (and Netflix).

Guilty pleasure outside racing?

Eat well and drink white wine or my favorite cocktail 'HUGO' with St Germain Liqueur.

Race I wish I'd been there for…

Flightline's Breeders' Cup Classic this year.

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De Sousa, Marquand Share Longines IJC Title

Coronavirus dictated that it wasn't exactly business at usual at Happy Valley Racecourse for the staging of Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship. But there was a return to at least some semblance of normalcy, as a crowd of about 11,000 fans filed into the stands and into the beer garden to watch Silvestre de Sousa finish level with Tom Marquand to cause a dead heat for just the third time in the history of the event. The duo shared HK$700,000 (£73,544) in prize money.

COVID-19 had already resulted original IJC invitees Yuga Kawada and Jye McNeil being sidelined for the meeting, and the virus claimed a third would-be participant Wednesday when France's Mickael Barzalona tested positive. Zac Purton was a warm favourite to bag a third IJC, but at the end of the day, he struck out, and the competition saw a different jockey win each of the four legs, forcing a countback to decide the winner–or, in this case, winners.

Vincent Ho, who will team up with Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) for a three-peat attempt in Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, struck in the first leg of the sequence driving the 8-1 chance Handsome Rebel (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) to a narrow victory over Faribault (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) (video) for trainer Jamie Richards.

Derek Leung took Barzalona's place in the IJC and made the most of the opportunity in the second leg, scoring by a short head astride 135-pound topweight Win Win Fighter (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) after favoured Royal Pride (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) slashed through one off the fence and looked on his way to victory (video) for McNeil's replacement Hugh Bowman. In was another feather in the cap for the homegrown Leung, whose previous crowning moment came aboard Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) in the 2017 Hong Kong Mile.

Neither Marquand nor De Sousa had pointed heading into the third of the IJC races, but that changed when Marquand's 11-1 chance Winning Dragon (Chi) (Ivan Denisovich) pegged back longshot Red Majesty (NZ) (Ferlax {NZ}), who was well-rated from the front by Lyle Hewitson–subbing for Kawada–but just failed to see it out at nearly 40-1 (video).

With as many as nine chances heading into the finale, it was De Sousa who capitalized from close range on Adios (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), just holding off a late surge from Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) (video), a two-time winner and seventh in the Brittania H. at Royal Ascot this year for trainer Andrew Slattery when racing as Finach McHugh (Ire). Red Lion would have made Australia's Jamie Kah–who took a Class 3 handicap earlier in the evening for Douglas Whyte–the outright winner on the occasion of her 27th birthday, but the event was declared a tie, as both Marquand and De Sousa posted fourths in other legs of the series. Ho's best finish outside of his was a fifth-place effort, while Leung's next best was a sixth.

“To finish joint-top with Silvestre is pretty epic,” said Marquand, who finished tied for second behind Zac Purton here 12 months ago. “He's been champion jockey back home, he works so hard and is someone you look up to in the weighing room. It's a huge honour and sometimes you have to pinch yourself that these things are happening.”

Marquand's wife Hollie Doyle, third in the final IJC race after being under a COVID cloud until she was cleared to participate Tuesday, closed the Happy Valley meeting with a 9-1 upset of the Class 2 United Kingdom H. (1800m) on Spirited Express (Aus) (No Nay Never).

De Sousa, winner of the 2018 IJC, said: “I'm just delighted. It's my second time winning and I finished placed another time. In the last leg I just felt the crowd and although it was a long last half furlong, thank God he got his head down and we gave it everything.”

 

 

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Pivotal’s Fancy Me Notches G3 Prix des Reservoirs Triumph

Philippe Sogorb trainee Fancy Me (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}–Besotted {Ire}, by Dutch Art {GB}), who ran fourth in July's Listed Criterium du Bequet at Tarbes, posted a runner-up finish in a seven-furlong conditions heat at Toulouse last month and stepped forward to claim a career high upped to one mile in Tuesday's G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville. The 93-10 chance raced second through the early strides, but was shuffled back to track the leaders in fourth by halfway. Rowed along to reduced arrears off the home turn, she regained second with 300 metres remaining and was ridden with vigour thereafter to deny Around Midnight (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) by a short head in the dying strides.

Fancy Me is the third foal and scorer out of stakes-winning G2 Prix de Sandringham runner-up Besotted (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}), herself a half-sister to G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Tie Black (Ire) (Machiavellian). The February-foaled chestnut is kin to a yearling filly by Siyouni (Fr) and a weanling filly by Kodiac (GB). Their second dam Tender Is Thenight (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) is a half-sister to seven black-type performers including MG1SW sire Last Tycoon (Ire) (Try My Best), MGSW sire Astronef (Ire) (Be My Guest) and stakes-winning G3 Prix Fille de l'Air runner-up Side Of Paradise (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). The latter produced G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois victrix Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), herself the dam of last term's G1 Cheveley Park S. and this year's G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio) and G2 Airlie Stud S. victrix Statuette (Justify). Tender Is Thenight is also a half-sister to Zelda (Ire) (Caerleon), whose descendants include G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G1 Matron S. victrix Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G1 Ranvet S. winner The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Tuesday, Deauville, France
PRIX DES RESERVOIRS-G3, €80,000, Deauville, 10-18, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:45.21, sf.
1–FANCY ME (IRE), 123, f, 2, by Pivotal (GB)
1st Dam: Besotted (Ire) (SW & GSP-Fr), by Dutch Art (GB)
2nd Dam: Tender Is Thenight (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Mill Princess (Ire), by Mill Reef
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Cotton House Bloodstock; B-C-Squared Investments (IRE); T-Philippe Sogorb; J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, €65,260. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Around Midnight (Fr), 123, f, 2, Almanzor (Fr)–Artifix (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Ecurie Billon, Ecurie Taos, Mandalore Racing Stable SAS & Normandie Breeding; B-Mme Camille Vitse & Ecurie Taos (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €16,000.
3–Angelaba (Ire), 123, f, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Yakaba (Fr), by Medicean (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (IRE); T-Christophe Ferland. €12,000.
Margins: SHD, 1, 1. Odds: 9.30, 1.40, 3.90.
Also Ran: Wonderfull Lady (Fr), Onyxka (Fr), Elounda Queen (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Dark Angel’s Charyn Prevails In The G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte

Nurlan Bizakov's 250,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Futoon {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) ran third to Roger Varian-trained stablemate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in last month's G2 Mill Reef S. and continued his progression with a career high in Saturday's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly. He had earlier followed up an Aug. 7 debut triumph at Haydock with a narrow defeat at Newmarket in his penultimate start later that month. The eventual winner was sent forward from an early fifth to track the leaders in third after the opening exchanges. Bustled along passing the quarter-mile marker, the 27-10 second choice tackled 3-5 favourite Eddie's Boy (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) entering the final furlong and kept on strongly under continued urging in the latter stages to deny that rival by a short neck after a ding-dong tussle.

“Roger Varian was quite confident the horse would run a great race and he felt the softer ground would help,” commented the winning owner's representative Mathieu Le Forestier. “The ground was fast [at Newbury] last time, he was away slowly and didn't get back into the race early enough. He had done that in his second start too. He broke a shade slowly again here, but Mickael [Barzalona] did well to put him under pressure straight away and he travelled well. One [furlong] out, I thought he'd win easily, but the second sure is a tough nut to crack. His season is probably finished, it looks like he will stay further and we will look forward to next year.”

Charyn, full to last year's G2 Mill Reef S. victor Wings Of War (Ire) and a weanling filly, becomes the 54th pattern-race winner for his sire (by Acclamation {GB}) and is the second foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Futoon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), herself the leading performer out of a full-sister to G2 Mill Reef S. winner and G1 Golden Jubilee S. runner-up Galeota (Ire). His second dam Vermilliann (Ire) (Mujadil) is also a half-sister to Listed River Eden Fillies' S. victrix Loulwa (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), herself the dam of Listed Scarborough S. and Listed Prix Hampton victor Justineo (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Charyn's third dam Refined (Ire) (Statoblest {Ire}), who hails from family of multiple Group-winning G1 Champion S. runner-up Insatiable (Ire) (Don't Forget Me {Ire}), is a half-sister to G3 Criterion S. scorer Pipe Major (Ire) (Tirol {Ire}) and is also the second dam of the G3 Sirenia S.-winning siblings Brown Sugar (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

Saturday, Chantilly, France
CRITERIUM DE MAISONS-LAFFITTE-G2, €190,000, Chantilly, 10-8, 2yo, 6fT, 1:10.58, sf.
1–CHARYN (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Futoon (Ire), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Vermilliann (Ire), by Mujadil
3rd Dam: Refined (Ire), by Statoblest (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Grangemore Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-Mickael Barzalona. €108,300. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 4-2-1-1, €133,799. *Full to Wings Of War (Ire), GSW-Eng & GSP-Fr, $163,143. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Eddie's Boy (GB), 128, c, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Spontaneity (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). (45,000gns Ylg '21 TATSOM). O-Middleham Park Racing XLV & Partner; B-Crossfields Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Archie Watson. €41,800.
3–Ocean Vision (Ire), 128, c, 2, U S Navy Flag–Balaagha, by Mr. Greeley. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Jonathon Kirkland & Mrs Geraldine Ryan; B-Mighty Universe Ltd (IRE); T-Tim Donworth. €19,950.
Margins: SNK, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.70, 0.60, 6.40.
Also Ran: Denver Chop (Fr), Alvina (Fr), Seeking Gold (Ire). Scratched: Matilda Picotte (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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