A race series for 3-year-old fillies in France will be sponsored by Darley, the organisation and France Galop announced on Tuesday.
Since discontinuing its sponsorship of the G1 Prix Morny, Darley has instead branched out into a quartet of fillies' races. The newly sponsored races are:
Listed Prix de Thiberville, ParisLongchamp on June 15
Sam Bullard, Director of Stallions, said, “Following the expansion of Darley's sponsorships at grassroots level in Great Britain and Ireland, it was only natural to extend this support of racing to France. We have an exciting young roster of stallions standing at Haras du Logis and these new sponsorships further demonstrate Darley's support of French racing and breeding. We are delighted to be involved.”
Olivier Delloye, Chief Executive of France Galop, said, “France Galop is delighted to count once again on the support of Darley, a leading international partner, which confirm the quality of our races.”
The rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) for Thoroughbred breeding in France has been reduced from 10% to 5.5%, according to a report by Jour de Galop on Tuesday. Furthermore, the tax reduction will be applied retrospectively to Jan. 1, 2023.
Loic Malivet, president of the Federation des Eleveurs du Galop (French TBA), said, “This rate of 5.5% is very important because it puts racing back in the agricultural sector, and that's only fair. I thank the minister of Agriculture and the Director of the Horse.”
Consisting of 25 lots, the June 19 sale includes Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) (lot 10), who is a French listed winner and ran third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains; as well as G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen third Dhangadi (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) (lot 17); and G3 Prix du Lys Longines entrant St James Park (Fr) (Pedro The Great (lot 19). A total of 16 horses have engagements at Royal Ascot, among them G3 Hampton Court S. entry Bright Legend (Ire) (Zoustar {Aus}) (lot 5); G3 Albany S. nominee Rush Queen (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) (lot 18); G2 Coventry S. starter Prince X J (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) (lot 20); G2 Queen Mary S. entry Tiger Belle (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) (lot 22); and multiple listed winner Ocean Vision (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) (lot 25), who runs in the G3 Jersey S.
Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “Even by its own lofty standards this is an outstanding catalogue for the London Sale with some truly mouthwatering lots featuring 16 Royal Ascot entries. This provides buyers with an opportunity not available at any other sale, to head to the Royal Meeting less than 24 hours after purchasing and see your own colours carried at the most famous flat race meeting in the world.
“We are grateful to our Partners headed by Privat 3 Money and look forward to welcoming a true 'Who's Who' of international racing to the sale like no other. The team at Goffs are so proud to host this amazing event in the grounds of Kensington Palace on the eve of Royal Ascot–what a thrill.”
NEWMARKET, UK–George Boughey is aiming to build on his two winners at Royal Ascot last year by taking a team of around 20 to next week's meeting, led by the G2 Coventry S. favourite Asadna (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).
Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's colt, who earned a TDN Rising Star with his 12-length win at Ripon on his sole start, will be ridden by William Buick, who partnered him in a gallop on Tuesday morning. Buick will also ride Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the G3 Albany S.
“The two-year-olds will probably be leading the charge,” said Boughey, who also plans to send Muqtahem (Ire) (Soldier's Call {Ire}) to either the G2 Norfolk S. or Windsor Castle S., and Graceful Thunder (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) for the G2 Queen Mary S.
“Asadna was very good at Chelmsford in a piece of work the other day. Oisin Murphy rode him there and William rode him this morning and was very happy.
“He has a super attitude. I think we will watch him walk round the paddock ahead of the Coventry like he is here in the paddock. He'll go there with a good chance.
“He just has an amazing temperament. He doesn't sweat, he doesn't do anything wrong. He's a very sound horse. He just loves his work.”
Hosting owners and press at his stable on Tuesday morning, Boughey took all of his Ascot hopefuls onto the nearby watered gallop alongside the Rowley Mile. Soprano, owned by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, won at Newmarket on Guineas weekend, beating Midnight Affair (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who subsequently won Saturday's Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley.
“Soprano was very good at Newmarket,” Boughey added. “She's certainly not a five-furlong horse. When she steps up in trip we'll see a better filly.”
Amo Racing's retained jockey Kevin Stott was aboard Graceful Thunder, a winner on debut at Sandown, alongside Pat Cosgrave and Pontefract winner Muqtahem, who could bid to emulate his sire Soldier's Call by winning the Listed Windsor Castle S.
“The two-year-olds are still learning. We worked six, and four of them will go to Ascot,” Boughey said.
“I didn't find anything out, necessarily. They are just teaching each other as they go along. Asadna, Soprano, Muqtahem, Graceful Thunder, they are all going to their respective races and it was all pretty straightforward work, but they all pleased me.”
Among his older horses, Boughey has two candidates for the G1 Commonwealth Cup in Al Dasim (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who each have Group 3 wins to their credit already this year, in Dubai and France respectively.
He said of Al Dasim, “He was meant to go to the Sandy Lane and we just weren't happy with the ground that day for him. He needs fast ground and I don't think we'll see the same horse at Ascot if we do get the rain. His work on fast ground is much better. He worked well on the watered gallop with a bit of ease in the ground and he's in good shape; I couldn't be happier with him.”
George Boughey alongside his string in Newmarket on Tuesday | Emma Berry
Having saddled both Inver Park (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Missed The Cut (Quality Road) to win at Royal Ascot last year, Boughey, who now has just over 100 horses across three yards in Newmarket, is understandably hungry for more success.
He added, “This is by far the best team we've had [going to Ascot] so far. It's the international stage. We're trying to find horses to run around the world, everyone's there and it really is the be-all-and-end-all for us at this time of the year. Obviously the better two-year-old races happen towards the end of the year but at the moment this is what everyone is gearing up to. It's the feature event.”
The trainer notched an important first Classic win in 2022 with Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) in the 1,000 Guineas, and the Highclere-owned filly has not raced since running at Royal Ascot last year.
“Cachet looks better than she has all spring,” Boughey noted. “It wasn't fair to take her straight to Royal Ascot after a year off the track, running six furlongs for the first time, and I also didn't think it was fair to run her in a Group 2 over a mile, not having been a convincing stayer on the stiff track.
“I haven't really got a plan at the moment. She's training away nicely, but at the end of the day, her main target is a mares' sale at the end of the year.
“She wasn't right to go to a sale at the end of last year and we will try to have her as busy as she can be into December, but I'm not going to rush her. She's a valuable filly and doesn't really need to prove anything else.”
He added, “She has done a couple of bits [of work], but she's not sparkled yet and we know what she can do, so we've given her plenty of time. I don't know why she hasn't [sparkled]. It's very warm now and she is starting to thrive, but it has been a pretty hard spring for them and she just hasn't for some reason.”
