Arqana August Topper Debuts at ParisLongchamp

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday’s Insights features the 2019 Arqana August Yearling Sale topper.

1.20 Punchestown, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, 7fT
MONDAY (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is the first foal out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner and G1 1000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is in turn a full-sister to another Aidan O’Brien-trained luminary in Misty For Me (Ire). The February-foaled bay is up against 10 in the race that relaunches flat racing at this track for the first time in nearly 18 years.

 1.55 Punchestown, Cond, €13,500, 3yo/up, 7fT
ELDAMA (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}) earned ‘TDN Rising Star’ status on her winning debut at Leopardstown in June and reappears in this seven-runner conditions event. The Aga Khan’s relative of the G1 Ascot Gold Cup winners Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) and the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) drops in trip, having won over a mile that day with Dermot Weld looking to restart her campaign.

2.25 Punchestown, Mdn, €11,000, 2yo, 8fT
LIFFEY RIVER (FR) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was a short-head second to TDN Rising Star Wuqood (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) over this trip on debut at Gowran Park last month and looks to get off the mark for owner Sun Bloodstock and trainer Joseph O’Brien. A full-brother to the group winners Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) and a half to Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead), the €380,000 Arqana Deauville August purchase encounters nine rivals on an informative card.

 2.10 Salisbury, Novice, £6,900, 2yo, 8fT
MAHOMES (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was one of 11 seven-figure lots to sell at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, with David Redvers securing the son of The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}) for Qatar Racing for 1million gns. Like the high-class dam, who was successful four times at the highest level including in the G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Prince of Wales’s S., the January-foaled bay is in the hands of John Gosden as he faces nine here.

2.40 Salisbury, Mdn, £24,000, 2yo f, 6f 213yT
NOON STAR (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is the sixth foal out of the prolific Group 1 winner Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and a full-sister to the dual Group 3 scorer Midterm (GB) and a half to the G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Mori (GB) by Galileo’s Frankel (GB). Both were trained by Sir Michael Stoute and the master of Freemason Lodge again has charge of this April-foaled bay as she debuts in this valuable “Quidhampton” Maiden Fillies’ S.

 4.45 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
PHILOMENE (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) at €1.625 million was the 2019 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale topper, which was no surprise given that her dam Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) had produced the star distaffers Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Andre Fabre introduces the May-foaled bay, who races for a partnership between her purchasers Godolphin and her breeders Ecurie des Monceaux and Ecurie Skymarc Farm. She faces eight rivals.

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Enable on Course for Kempton

Dual G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is pleasing connections ahead of a start in the G3 September S. over the Kempton synthetic on Sept. 5. The 6-year-old Juddmonte silksbearer took the 2018 September S. in advance of her second Arc crown. Second in that ParisLongchamp showpiece in 2019, the John Gosden trainee was also runner-up in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. to Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) this July, but was back in top form in the G1 King George Vi & Queen Elizabeth S. on July 25.

Enable’s Arc opposition is arguably the stiffest yet, as since the Coral-Eclipse Ghaiyyath rolled by three lengths in the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York on Aug. 19 after taking the G1 Coronation Cup S. in June, his third Group 1 on the bounce.  Standout Aidan O’Brien filly Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was also boosting her reputation recently with a victory in the Aug. 20 G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks and looms a formidable rival in the Arc. Racing for the Coolmore partners, the sophomore miss claimed that Knavesmire contest by five lengths. In the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas, the blaze-faced chestnut had drawn off by 4 1/4 lengths and her margin of victory in Epsom’s G1 Investec Oas was nine lengths.

“What we saw from both was no great surprise, really,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid Abdullah. “Both of them had very strong form going into their races–they were both favourites and both won well. Really they just proved what very good horses they are, but I think we already knew that–it wasn’t a surprise.

“Enable is in good form, anyway, and still on course for Kempton. Come the Arc, what will be will be. It won’t be just those two we’ll have to worry about. The Arc is so well revered for a reason-all the opposition merits respect. No Arc is ever easy.”

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Next Targets Set for Serpentine, Santiago

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has announced plans for two of his 3-year-old stars of 2020, G1 Investec Derby upsetter Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}).

Serpentine will make his next start in the G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp on Arc Trial day Sept. 13.

“The lads [owners Coolmore] wanted to keep him at a mile and a half, with a view that he could go for the Arc or something like that,” O’Brien said. The Grand Prix de Paris replaces the G2 Prix Niel, the customary 3-year-old course-and-distance prep for the Arc, which has been suspended this year.

Santiago, who gave O’Brien his 14th Irish Derby success late last month, will take on Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Goodwood Cup over two miles and will be in receipt of 15 pounds.

“It was always the plan to come here after Ascot, and we took in the Irish Derby on the way,” said O’Brien. “He seems to have come out of the Irish Derby well–we’re very happy with him at the moment.

“We always thought the Goodwood Cup was a race that would suit him. He’s a horse we always thought would stay very well– that’s why he ran him first time out this year at Ascot over a mile and six (furlongs).

“He’s a very straightforward horse to handle and to train and he’s very clean-winded. He’s a very exciting horse, and we always viewed him as possibly a Cup horse for next year, so this is all good experience for him really.

“If everything goes well, he’ll probably go straight from here to the [G1] St Leger, because there isn’t really anything for him in between.”

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Le Havre’s Vaucelles Swoops For Malleret Success

Gerard Augustin-Normand’s twice-raced Vaucelles (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) finished just over six lengths off Tawkeel (GB) (Teofilo {Ire) when fourth on stakes bow in last month’s G1 Prix Saint-Alary at Chantilly and took the step forward with a career high in Tuesday’s G2 Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp. Employing patient tactics racing fourth of five for most of the 12-furlong contest, the May 31 Deauville maiden winner was rousted into action when the sweeping rally of Oriental Mystique (GB) (Kingman {GB}) along the false straight forced all rivals to commit sooner than expected. In pursuit mode off the home turn, the 23-10 second favourite outbattled Bonne Idee (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to seal second entering the final furlong and found another gear in the dying embers to deny the enterprisingly ridden British challenger by 3/4-of-a-length in the shadows of the post, while Bonne Idee was chinned on the line for third by Mozzarella (Fr) (Power {GB}).

“We made the right decision to bypass the [G1] Prix de Diane in favour of this race,” commented winning trainer Pascal Bary. “To have gone to Chantilly [for the Diane] would have been too hard for a filly who had her first start so late and with little experience. She is a lovely looking sort, she has improved regularly and has that turn of foot all the good ones have. She’ll now have another break and will return in the [G1] Prix Vermeille [back at this venue] in September.”

Vaucelles is the second of four foals and lone performer out of Listed Prix Finlande and Listed Prix Miss Satamixa placegetter Vaunoise (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), herself full to G3 Centenary Vase second Setphensons Rocket (Ire) and a half to G3 Prix La Force third Beauvoir (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). The February-foaled chestnut is a full-sister to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Vergoncey (Ire), who is in training with Jerome Reynier, and half to a yearling filly by Caravaggio. Her third dam Moucha (Fr) (Fabulous Dancer), herself kin to GIII A Gleam H. victress Daloma (Fr) (Bellypha {Ire}), was runner-up in the Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux and produced GIII Laurel Dash winner Mayoumbe (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and MSW G3 Gallinule S. third Tipperary All Star (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}).

Tuesday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE MALLERET-G2, €90,000, ParisLongchamp, 7-14, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:29.27, g/s.
1–VAUCELLES (FR), 123, f, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
1st Dam: Vaunoise (Ire) (MSP-Fr), by Teofilo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tipperary Honor (Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr)
3rd Dam: Moucha (Fr), by Fabulous Dancer
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Franklin Finance SA (FR); T-Pascal Bary; J-Christophe Soumillon. €51,300. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €69,865. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Oriental Mystique (GB), 123, f, 3, Kingman (GB)–Madame Chiang (GB), by Archipenko. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-David Simcock. €19,800.
3–Mozzarella (Fr), 123, f, 3, Power (GB)–Melting Ice (Ire), by Verglas (Ire). O-Paul Normand & Freddy Normand; B-Larissa Kneip & Sandrine Grevet (FR); T-Nicolas Caullery. €9,450.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, SNK. Odds: 2.30, 12.00, 7.80.
Also Ran: Bonne Idee (GB), Trefoil (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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