News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 27th April 2022.
All three codes feature in this week's edition of the News In Brief including last years' G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest (1300m) winner Marianafoot, 2020 G2 Prix Bournosienne (3600m) winner Hostess du Chenet and Vivid Wise As.
Flat
Last years' G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest (1300m) winner Marianafoot will next race in the Listed Prix Servanne (1200m) at Chantilly on 3 May. This will be his second run of the season having finished second in the Class 2 Prix Cirrus des Aigles (1300m) at Cagnes-sur-Mer in February. Marianafoot was the winner of this race last year.
Winner of the Listed Criterium du Languedoc (1600m), Texas, finished fourth when first up this campaign in the G3 Prix Fontainebleau (1600m) at Longchamp beaten 1.75L and will continue his intended path of lining up for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1600m) in three weeks.
Last Sunday at Le Pin au Haras, Ile Maurice won the Prix des Ventes Arqana (2350m and restricted to AQPS horses) ridden by Quentin Perrett. The victory gave trainer Xavier Hondier his first race winner with the former jump jockey now based at Maisons-Laffitte.
Wooded will stand in Australia at Swettenham Stud this year. Group placed in multiple races in France at two, Wooded won the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) last October as a three-year-old and is the first son of Wootton Bassett to stand in Australia. Other French stallions shuttling to Australia and New Zealand include Almanzor and Toronado, sire of two G1 winners in Melbourne and Sydney.
Prior to his current travel to the United States, Vincent Cheminaud had already ridden a winner in the United States. In 2015 he paired with Flintshire to win the G1 Sword Dancer Stakes. Last Friday, the jockey added a new victory, the first since he chose to settle across the Atlantic. It was at Keeneland in the saddle on Shannon who is trained by Ignacio Correas.
On Friday at Saint Galmier, Eagle Gray, winner of the Prix France Bleu (2350m) gave sire Victory Song his first success as a stallion. Standing at Haras de Sivola since 2019, he only has thirteen 3-year-olds at foot. From his dams' side, he is out of Urban Sea and therefore closely related to Galileo, Sea the Stars and Born to Sea.
Working for trainer Paul de Chevigny since last September, Indian jockey Parbat Singh won his first race in France at Nantes riding Mormona in the Prix des Jonquilles, a Maiden for three-year-olds.
Last Wednesday at Chantilly, Miramar was an impressive winner of the G3 Prix Sigy (1100m). In so doing, the Carlos and Yann Lerner trained three-year-old broke the course record in a time of 1'02''15. The previous record was held by Roshendhal from September 2013 (in a claimer). Suesa ran the race record last year recording 1'03''68.
Winner of the G2 Prix Niel (2400m) and G2 Prix Hocquart (2000m) Bubble Gift, along with Bubble Smart (third in the Prix Dial) performed a public gallop on the turf. Bubble Gift next race in the G3 Prix d'Hédouville (2400m) [May 12 at Longchamp], while Bubble Smart will run the G3 Prix de Barbeville (3100m) [May 1st at Longchamp].
Mutabahi won a Class 2 at Cagnes-sur-Mer then progressed to finish second tackling the (domestic) G1 Amir Trophy in Doha before returning to France and capturing his first Listed victory in the Prix de la Porte de Madrid (2400m) at Saint Cloud. Next stop will now be G3 Prix d'Hédouville (2400m) on May 12 at Longchamp.
Malavathn was a winner of the G3 Prix Imprudence (1400m) at Deauville defeating Zellie and is now set to run at Newmarket (UK) in the G1 1000 Guineas (1600m) next Sunday. She holds potential for success given her experience on straight courses.
Last Tuesday week at Marseille-Vivaux, Christophe Soumillon had six rides and for the third time this year managed to win five races! His victories were aboard Chagall, Elana, Bakoel Koffi, He Maestoso and Khivala. His other ride finished second. At the meeting he passed the 100 winners mark for the season.
Jump
Listrac won the G1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure (4400m) however has disappointed in two outings this season finishing sixth on each occasion. His trainer, Francois Nicolle, indicated the horse will be turned out and prepared for an autumn campaign where upon his return, Compiegne will be targeted, notably setting sights on the G2 Grande Steeplechase (4100m) in October.
Last Tuesday week, Lucas Vandamme recorded his first career victory at Auteuil with Havania in the Prix de Borély (3700m). He works at the stables of Patricia Butel and Jean-Luc Beaunez. This was his eighth career success and the fourth riding Havania. This success was followed up the next day at Fontainebleau producing another winner, this time riding Jeu Tentant.
2020 G2 Prix Bournosienne (3600m) winner Hostess du Chenet, has won her past four starts, all hurdle contests at Group level and is back in training with Marcel Rolland. She is expected to make her comeback at Auteuil on April 30, in the Class 1 Prix des Charentes (3600m), a hurdle for 4&5-year-old fillies and mares.
Trotting
Last weekend two drivers succeeded with four winning drives. At Graignes, David Thomain won three races with family horses Gad de Baffais, Jade d'Erable and Gaspard along with Hotot trained by Séverine Raimond while at Saint-Aubin-les-Elbeuf, Yoann Lebourgeois, recorded another four winners having secured that number the previous Sunday at Lisieux. He scored with four of his five drives, made up of Invictus Wit trained by Loïc Peschet, Iron des Racques for Alexandre Buisson, Buryère Index prepared by Jean-Marie Monclin and Cyril Chenu's Fondant Baulois.
Vivid Wise As joined Bold Eagle in 2016 and 2017, Main Wise As in 2011 and 2012, keeping his title in the G1 Prix de l'Atlantique (2150m) at Enghien. Like Main Wise As he is from the same Italian breeding operation of Allevamento della Serenissima. Uniquely, the first three over the line in the race again filled the placing's in the same order.
Already invited to compete in the Elitloppet at Solvalla at the end of May, Vivid Wise As will now be targeted for this race. He finished second in the final last year. Etonnant will also now travel to Sweden for the feature event.
Camille Levesque continues to be in great form. Following a successful Winter Meeting including a G1 success with Granvillaise Bleue, she reached another milestone recording her 200th career winner in the saddle aboard Filwell at Enghien on Saturday
Jubile Prior won the G2 Prix Gai Brillant (2700m) at his second time of asking under mounted conditions and his summer target will be the G1 Prix d'Essai (2700m) at the end of June. He prefers left-handed tracks' and should a lead-up race be included will tackle this way of going.
