15 March 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
She is a newcomer at the best level, but the 4-year-old mare Simona (Siyouni) won easily the first Turf Group race of the year in Europe, the Prix Exbury (Gr3), over 10 furlongs and very heavy ground, this Sunday in Saint-Cloud.
Four times unplaced at Listed level at the end of last year but a very easy winner for her comeback, Simona races for her breeders Carolyn and Nigel Elwes and is trained in Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard.
She led all the way, had to shake off Pappalino (Makfi), who challenged her early in the straight after shadowing in second, but she took the upper hand after that to win by almost two lengths ahead of Spirit of Nelson (Mount Nelson), who finished well to beat Pappalino and Edisa (Kitten's Joy). The titleholder Soleil Marin (Kendargent) could not make up any ground in the end. The stewards called his rider Pierre-Charles Boudot, who could not provide any relevant explanation for this failure.
Simona was bred in France. She is the fifth foal out of Monava (El Prado), who was purchased for €35,000 after her racing career at Arqana sales. She had won only once for her breeders, the Wertheimer brothers, at the minor Croise-Laroche track, but her dam Moiava (Bering) was a champion 2-year-old in France and descended from a consistent family providing a steady flow of good winners, as she was herself.
After Simona, Monava gave a 3-year-old by Kendargent in training with David Henderson in France, then a 2-year-old daughter of Anodin.
Also on the card on Sunday, two Listed races launch the "classic" sequence. The Prix Omnium II (L) and La Camargo (L) are the male and female versions of the same 3-year race over 1,600 metres (1m). Pisanello (Raven’s Pass) resisted The Summit (Wootton Bassett) for Haras d' Etreham in the colts' race. He is trained by Fabrice Chappet, who entered him into the French Guineas and the French Derby before this victorious comeback, but after he'd won last November in a Class 2 race on this course and distance.
Among the fillies in the Prix La Camargo, Emoji (Soldier Hollow) started her French career with a bang after winning last year her only race in Germany, where she was bred, by fourteen lengths. Purchased by the international team Team Valor after that Auction race walkover, she was send to Chantilly at Francis-Henri Graffard's yard. The filly annihilated the race and won by 2 lengths. She too is entered in the French classics.
Like all meetings scheduled since Friday, March 13, the races will take place behind closed doors.