4 October 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, October 4, 2020, ParisLongchamp. - The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (Gr1) is traditionally the prey of the English ... but not this year! The French 3-year-old Wooded (Wootton Bassett), trained by Francis-Henri Graffard in Chantilly, ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot and bred in Normandy at Haras d'Étreham, put an end to nearly ten years of scarcity for French training on ParisLongchamp's 5f straight course.
Wooded, who races for Al Shaqab Racing (Sheikh Joaan Al Thani), edged England's Glass Slippers (Dream Ahead), winner of the race last year, and Liberty Beach (Cable Bay).
To win, the 3-year-old took advantage of his draw 2 in the starting stalls and kept going by the rail. Not being a real sprinter until now, he seemed outpaced for a long time before coming back inch by inch to finally win by a neck over Glass Slippers, Liberty Beach concluding a short neck behind the second-placed.
Bought € 90,000 at the Deauville yearling sales, Wooded started with a second place in Dieppe in July when he was 2, beaten by a short neck, and immediately avenged himself at Deauville over 7 furlongs. Then placed in the Prix La Rochette (Gr3) and Thomas Bryon (Gr3), he won easily for his comeback over 6 furlongs in the Prix Texanita (Gr3). Declared a non-runner because of the softened ground in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr1) at Royal Ascot, he went on to finish fourth after leading in the Prix Jean Prat (Gr1) over 7 furlongs, notably behind Lope Y Fernandez. Shortened to 5 furlongs after failing in the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1) this summer at Deauville, he was placed second behind Air de Valse in the Qatar Prix du Petit Couvert (Gr3) at the Arc trials and found his revenge here.
His Ajaya sister was sold for € 65,000 at the Deauville yearling sales last year.
What they said
- Francis Graffard (trainer of Wooded, 1st) :
“I was roaring! I am over the moon for him, he's a horse I love. It has been tough all season with him. I wanted to send him to Royal Ascot but we were unable to travel, I was gutted. Today the plan was to run him over 1,000 to toughen him up for next year, but he’s only gone and won. He galloped last week on the soft ground and “PC” (Pierre-Charles Boudot) said to me that he was a completely different horse. Well done to “PC” who has always said he is fast and well done to the team at home !”
- Tom Andrew Eaves (jockey of Glass Slippers, 2nd):
“She has run extremely well, we can say that she put up a great performance. Our position in the stalls has not helped us I think. With a better draw, things could have been different »