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Dark Angel’s Angel Bleu Pounces For Jean-Luc Lagardere Triumph

Unseen since annexing Goodwood's G2 Vintage S. in July, Marc Chan's 2-year-old colt Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), dented a host of lofty reputations and pounced late for a game success in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere – Grand Criterium at ParisLongchamp. The Listed Pat Eddery S. runner-up had snagged two low-key heats, at Salisbury and Pontefract, in his first four starts and was sent postward as an 11-2 chance for the seven-furlong test. Steadied at the break to race off the pace in a midfield sixth along the rail, he responded to Frankie Dettori's continued urgings in the straight to go second approaching the final furlong and kept on relentlessly under a late drive to deny Godolphin's pacesetting Listed Flying Scotsman S. winner Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) by 3/4-of-a-length nearing the line. Coolmore and Westerberg's 12-5 favourite Ancient Rome (War Front) came from off the pace with a late rattle, but was unable to catch the front two and finished the same margin back in third.

“We felt the bend really helped him at Goodwood and the bend helped him again today because he can be quite exuberant,” explained trainer Ralph Beckett. “We came for the ground, it all fell into place today, this is my first Group 1 win in France and it couldn't have worked out any better. It was tough as he had to go and get the other horse and then put it to bed. We were always going to come here after Goodwood, he's tough and it's all worked out. He has been great to train from day one and he's really been very straightforward. He's been brilliantly managed, [owner] Marc Chan is a very easy guy to deal with and he has taken the advice of Jamie McCalmont, who has called it right all along.”

Looking ahead to future targets, the trainer didn't commit to punching a “Win-And-You're-In” ticket to the Breeders' Cup and added, “The Breeders' Cup is a possibility, but there's not much soft ground in Del Mar. It was soft at Newmarket on Saturday, he's still in the [G1] Dewhurst [next Saturday] and I wouldn't rule that out. He's backed up quickly before and when they're in good form and the ball's at your feet it's always a good idea to kick it.”

For Frankie Dettori, it was some measure of compensation having missed on a ride in the Arc following the withdrawal of Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “I had a good draw and a good race,” claimed the rider after registering a third win in the contest. “I waited until the false straight before making my move and I always knew that we were going to win. I don't have a ride in the Arc, unfortunately, but winning a Group 1 race on this card is always special. I'm delighted for the owner, Marc Chan, who is a newcomer to racing and has acquired several horses with a view to winning the Hong Kong Derby.”

“I'm delighted and it's definitely a step up from where we've been,” said Charlie Appleby after Noble Truth had made a bold attempt to win from the front. “We've tried to hold on to him before, but he's a fairly keen horse so we tried a different tack today. We tried it at home in midweek before we decided to come here. We let him roll on the front end of a gallop and they couldn't get to him and he very nearly pulled it off today. We'll see how he comes out of it and we'll see where we are. I thought we might go to Saint-Cloud [for the one-mile Oct. 23 G1 Criterium International] with him. We know he'll handle conditions there so we might have a look at that.”

Rider Mickael Barzalona was of the opinion the draw was the most significant factor, and not the heavy going, in contributing to the defeat of Ancient Rome and elaborated, “Ancient Rome ran well and was not hampered by the ground judging by the way that he finished his race. We would have preferred to have been drawn on the inside, but, unfortunately, we were forced to deal with his number nine draw.”

Angel Bleu, half-brother to a yearling colt by Siyouni (Fr), becomes the ninth Group 1 winner for his sire and is the first of two foals produced by a full-sister to MG1SW sire Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). His dam Cercle de La Vie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of G2 South Australian Oaks runner-up Hveger (Aus) (Danehill), is also full to G1 Caulfield S. hero Cape of Good Hope (Ire), MG1SP G2 Great Voltigeur S. and G2 Hardwicke S. victor Idaho (Ire) and G3 Ballysax S. victor Nobel Prize (Ire). The February-foaled bay's G1 Australia Oaks-winning third dam Circles of Gold (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}) threw MG1SW Australian champions Elvstroem (Aus) (Danehill) and Haradasun (Aus) (Fusaichi Pegasus). Circles of Gold is the leading performer for Olympic Aim (NZ) (Zamazaan {Fr}), whose descendants include MG1SW sire Starspangledbanner (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) and G1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas victrix Amicus (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX JEAN-LUC LAGARDERE (GRAND CRITERIUM)-G1, €400,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-3, 2yo, c/f, 7fT, 1:24.58, hy.
1–ANGEL BLEU (FR), 126, c, 2, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Cercle de la Vie (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hveger (Aus), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Circles of Gold (Aus), by Marscay (Aus)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€120,000 Ylg '20 ARDEAY). O-Marc Chan; B-Pan Sutong Racing Bloodstock (FR); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Frankie Dettori. €228,560. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 7-4-1-1, €349,201. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Noble Truth (Fr), 126, c, 2, Kingman (GB)–Speralita (Fr), by Frankel (GB). (€1,100,000 Ylg '20 ARAUG). O-Godolphin; B-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois (FR); T-Charlie Appleby. €91,440.
3–Ancient Rome, 126, c, 2, War Front–Gagnoa (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Westerberg; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Andre Fabre. €45,720.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, SNK. Odds: 5.50, 6.40, 2.40.
Also Ran: Accakaba (Ire), The Wizard of Eye (Ire), Stone Age (Ire), Rocchigiani (GB), Ebro River (Ire), Arnis Master (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Pixie Knight First Group 1 Winner For Maurice

Pixie Knight (Jpn) became the first Group 1 winner for Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn) when coming home a smooth winner of Sunday's G1 Sprinters S. at Nakayama Racecourse. He likewise became the first 3-year-old since 2007 to take the coveted six-furlong prize, and just the sixth since the race was promoted to Group 1 status in 1990.

A debut winner going seven furlongs last September, Pixie Knight finished third in allowance company before being put away for the winter. Stepping up to pattern company to take the one-mile G3 Shinzan Kinen on seasonal debut on Jan. 10, Pixie Knight slipped to fourth in the G3 Arlington Cup and was soundly beaten in eighth in the G1 NHK Mile Cup on May 9. Dropping back to this trip thereafter, Pixie Knight was second after a summer holiday in the G3 CBC Sho on the fourth of July and filled the same position in the G2 Centaur S. at Chukyo on Sept. 12.

Traveling just off the pace on the rail, Pixie Knight was in tight at the top of the stretch but soon found daylight in the two path. Put to a drive two furlongs out, he soon found the lead and was a comfortable two-length winner. Former champion juvenile filly Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was second, while race favourite Danon Smash, winner of the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and G1 Hong Kong Sprint, was sixth.

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
SPRINTERS S.-G1, ¥252,860,000, Nakayama, 10-3, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:07.10, fm.
1–PIXIE KNIGHT (JPN), 121, c, 3, by Maurice (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Pixie Hollow (Jpn), by King Halo (Jpn)
                2nd Dam: Rhein Regina (Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin-Oh (Jpn)
                3rd Dam: Shinko Angel, by Ogygian
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm;
T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Yuichi Fukunaga; ¥133,402,000.
Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-1. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Resistencia (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–
Malacostumbrada (Arg), by Lizard Island. O-Carrot Farm;
B-Northern Farm; ¥52,972,000.
3–Shivaji, 126, h, 6, First Samurai–Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie.
O-Kanayama Holdings; B-Hinkle Farms; ¥33,486,000.
Margins: 2, HD, 2HF. Odds: 4.30, 2.40, 46.50.
Also Ran: Mikki Yell (Jpn), Mozu Superflare, Danon Smash (Jpn), Bien Fait (Jpn), Kurino Gaydi (Jpn), Miki Brillante (Jpn), Loving Answer (Jpn), Gendarme, Taisei Vision (Jpn), Eighteen Girl (Jpn), A Will a Way (Jpn), First Force (Jpn), Lord Aqua (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Marcel Boussac Glory For Wootton Bassett’s Zellie

Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac which opened ParisLongchamp's Arc fixture took place without TDN Rising Star and likely favourite Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB}) after Andre Fabre opted to wait for Friday's G3 Oh So Sharp S. due to an excess of 20 millimetres of rain falling pre-racing. How Juddmonte's unbeaten daughter of Emollient (Empire Maker) would have coped with the very soft ground is an unknown, but her stablemate Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) handled it with aplomb to deny the 33-1 shot Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) in what appeared a grind in the conditions and book her trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November.

Impressive in this ground when winning the seven-furlong Listed Prix Roland de Chambure at Deauville July 11, Al Wasmiyah Farm's acquisition was second to Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in the Aug. 3 G3 Prix Six Perfections over that same track and trip and to Fleur D'Iris (GB) (Shamardal) in the G3 Prix d'Aumale over this course and distance Sept. 9. Held up in rear early by Oisin Murphy, the 4-1 shot was sent up the inner to pass all rivals in the straight and overhaul Times Square 100 metres from the line en route to a 1 3/4-length success, with Oscula three lengths away in third. “She is a nice, uncomplicated filly who has been so consistent,” commented Fabre, whose juggling act here resulted in a second Marcel Boussac and first since 1995. “She is finished for the season and I don't think she'll go much further than a mile. It'll be either the 1000 Guineas or the Pouliches.”

Zellie, who was campaigned in the colours of Fabre's daughter Lavinia until being sold to Qatar's Ali Hamad Al Attiya prior to the Six Perfections, had also shown an aptitude for heavy going when off the mark over six furlongs on debut at Saint-Cloud May 18 but is no one-trick pony. Following up on good ground back there on her second start over seven June 8, the bay was on good-to-soft when charging late in the Prix d'Aumale and is just an admirably versatile and honest performer with the touch of class necessary to lift a prize such as this. As fellow Fabre runner and 11-5 favourite Fleur D'Iris and the G3 Silver Flash S. and G2 Debutante S. winner Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) caved in having animated the race from the outset, it was a case of who had the strength in the finale and the winner lacks for nothing in that department.

Oisin Murphy said, “She prefers good ground, but has enough class to cope with this ground on the day. She is trained by an extraordinary man. Thank you very much to the owners and to Mr Fabre for the confidence placed in me. She is a beautiful, easy-to-ride filly and she has a big heart. She is a dream ride for a jockey!”

Times Square's trainer Christophe Ferland said of the runner-up, “She is a nice filly who has been very difficult to train. She has a lot of temperament and is not easy to be around, so my team have done a great job working with her. She worked very nicely 10 days ago and although the odds said we had no chance, I believed. She was beaten by a better horse on the day, but at least we have a nice filly for next season.”

Emulating the career-best success of her burgeoning sire presence, whose big day came in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on this card on the same ground in 2010, Zellie is the second foal and first runner out of Sarai (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) who is kin to three stakes winners. They are headed by Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who won a soft-ground G1 1000 Guineas as well as the G2 Rockfel S. and G3 Nell Gwyn S., and include the GIII Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf H. scorer Major Rhythm (Rhythm). Two of the less-accomplished half-siblings Bold Classic (Pembroke) and Gadfly (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) are responsible for the G1 Irish Derby third Festive Cheer (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}) and this year's G3 Prestige S. winner Mise En Scene (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) respectively.

The third dam is the listed-winning Specificity (Alleged), who produced the G1 Champion S., G1 Hong Kong Cup and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine Pride (Fr) (Peintre Celebre) who was also second in the 2006 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She is the dam of the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner One Foot In Heaven (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and the dual group-placed Queen (Fr) (Kingman {GB}). Pride's half-sister Fate (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}) captured the G3 Prix de Flore and was third in the G1 Prix Ganay, while this is also the family of the G1 St Leger hero Touching Wood (Roberto). Sarai's son of Dabirsim (Fr) was a €95,000 purchase by Paul Nataf at the recent Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX MARCEL BOUSSAC – CRITERIUM DES POULICHES-G1, €400,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-3, 2yo, 8fT, 1:42.67, hy.
1–ZELLIE (FR), 123, f, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Sarai (GB), by Nathaniel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Specifically, by Sky Classic
3rd Dam: Specificity, by Alleged
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€140,000 Wlg '19 ARQDEC; €140,000 RNA Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Al Wasmiyah Farm; B-Charles Barel (FR); T-Andre Fabre; J-Oisin Murphy. €228,560. Lifetime Record: 6-4-2-0, €321,060. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Times Square (Fr), 123, f, 3, Zarak (Fr)–See You Always (GB), by Siyouni (Fr). O-Allan Belshaw; B-Times of Wigan Ltd (FR); T-Christophe Ferland. €91,440.
3–Oscula (Ire), 123, f, 2, Galileo Gold (GB)–Bisous Y Besos (Ire), by Big Bad Bob (Ire). (4,000gns Ylg '20 TAOCT). O-Nick Bradley Racing 20; B-Padraig Williams (IRE); T-George Boughey. €45,720.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3, NK. Odds: 3.90, 33.00, 7.40.
Also Ran: Agartha (Ire), Who Knows (Fr), Acer Alley (GB), Fleur D'Iris (GB), Natasha (GB). Scratched: Raclette (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Caroline Herschel A New Rising Star At Killarney

Away from the hustle and bustle of Newmarket and ParisLongchamp, Killarney staged a relatively low-key card on Saturday but the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden revealed one to generate excitement in new TDN Rising Star Caroline Herschel (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Homebred by Vimal and Gillian Khosla, the March-foaled chestnut started the mile contest as a 14-1 shot hailing from the in-form Jessica Harrington stable on what looked a demanding debut tackling some well-regarded colts. Worse than mid-division early, she had plenty to do at halfway but came on strong to loom seven-wide on the home turn. Taking control with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, she drew away to score impressively by 3 1/2 lengths from Comfort Zone (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), who had been ninth on debut behind another TDN Rising Star in Eclat de Lumiere (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Ballydoyle's 11-10 favourite Sun King (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a further 1 1/4 lengths behind in third.

“It was a very good performance first time, as she's a very big filly,” rider Nathan Crosse said of the imposing winner, who is the third TDN Rising Star for her late sire. “She broke well and I thought we went very hard on that ground and I couldn't really go with them. I let her find her feet and turning in we picked up again and once I gave her a shove, she picked up the bridle and did it nicely going away. In the end, I got there too early. She is a very big filly, so obviously hasn't run until the back end of the year but will be a lovely filly next year.”

The unraced dam Compostela (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was a 72,000gns purchase at the 2016 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, is off to a flyer as a broodmare with her first foal being the G3 Killavullan S. winner and GII Honeymoon S. runner-up Stela Star (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}). The second dam is Lael Stable's G3 King George S. and G3 Molecomb S. winner Enticing (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose high-class daughter One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) needs no introduction as the triple G1 Prix de la Foret heroine who also captured the G3 Oak Tree S. and G3 Fairy Bridge S. and was placed in two editions of the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S., as well as the G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Queen Anne S. The third dam is the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Norfolk S.-winning European champion 2-year-old filly Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}). Compostela's 2021 colt is by Too Darn Hot (GB).

1st-Killarney, €14,000, Mdn, 10-2, 2yo, 8f 30yT, 1:46.61, sf.
CAROLINE HERSCHEL (IRE), f, 2, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: Compostela (GB), by Sea the Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Enticing (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Superstar Leo (Ire), by College Chapel (GB)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,738.
O-Ms Gillian Khosla; B-Vimal & Gillian Khosla (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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