21 May 2023
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, May 21, 2023, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - The favourite Losange Bleu (Martaline) got beaten for the second time in his career in the €278,000 Alain du Breil 4yo Hurle Race (Gr1), his first attempt at Group 1 level. Nevertheless, the Papot family homebred gelding put in a great performance to ultimately bow to Gala Marceau (Galiway), a French-bred filly now trained in Ireland by Willie Mullins, who has already won this 4-year-olds Hurdling Championship twice.
Losange Bleu led the entire race and stood up to every challenge, this last one proving one too many as it undoubtedly contributed to him awkwardly jumping the final hurdle, as his rival, until then ridden in fourth position, took the edge and stayed on. In the run-in, the filly veered to the right, and Losange Bleu seemed to make up some ground but ultimately had to concede, for the second time in his career, by seven lengths. The winner's stablemate Zarak the Brave (Zarak) finished well to take third place at five lengths.
Gala Marceau began her career in France for her breeder, Guy Pariente, who entrusted her to Sylvain Dehez. She won three hurdle races there, including the Girofla 3yo Fillies Hurdle (L) by eleven lengths at Auteuil in April 2022. Across the Channel, she has since won a Group 1 in Ireland, then finished second to Lossiemouth, also bred in France, in the Triumph Hurdle (Gr1) at the Cheltenham festival.
The dam of Gala Marceau, Alma Marceau (Kendargent), was unsold twice at Deauville before being finally sold for €29,000, in foal to Galiway, in November 2021 in Deauville to Richard Venn Bloodstock. This union resulted in a filly born at Haras des Étincelles, in Calvados.
A hurdle winner at Clairefontaine, Alma Marceau is out of Avenue Marceau (Enrique), a Gr3 winner over the Auteuil hurdles.