French Maiden Winners Weekly (Nov. 6-12)

*DECCAN QUEEN (F3), GB by Rail Link ex Trellis Bay (Sadler’s Wells)
Prix Loisir-Picture above (3yo maiden, 2,100m), November 7, Saint-Cloud

Owner : Khalid Abdullah
Trainer : David Smaga
Breeder : Juddmonte Farms
Rider : Maxime Guyon

Deccan Queen (Rail Link) looked like the winner all along only to be joined on the post by Vegas Valentine (Lope de Vega), and the two fillies were declared winners in a dead heat.

It was a fifth trial for Deccan Queen, 7th for her début at Compiègne in June, then twice a second at Clairefontaine over 1m1/2 and 3rd over a shorter distance at Compiegne, again, just before that first "success". Deccan Queen is a sister to Bellamy Cay (Kris), winner of Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2) and 2nd in the Prix Royal-Oak (Gr1) won by Montare, but also to Cinnamon Bay (Zamindar), dam of champion New Bay (Dubawi). She's the 11th foal out of Trellis Bay (Sadler's Wells), a sister to 1993 Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight, for Juddmonte and trainer André Fabre.

*VEGAS VALENTINE (F3), FRA by Lope de Vega ex Plume Rose (Marchand de Sable)
Prix Loisir-Picture above (3yo maiden, 2,100m), November 7, Saint-Cloud

Owner : Frédéric Bianco
Trainer : Elie Lellouche
Breeder : Écurie des Monceaux
Rider : Clément Lecœuvre

Vegas Valetine (Lope de Vega) joined Deccan Queen (Rail Link) on the post to share this first victory for her 5th outing. 2nd at 2 for her first race behind a subsequent Listed placed Ambivalence, she however was well beaten three times at 3 before this victorious day.

Bought for €72,000 € at Arqana by agent Horse France, Vegas Valentine has a yearling brother by Sea the Stars who made €110,000 at Arqana in October. Their brother by Elusive City, Gardol City, now 4, was exported to saudia Arabia after being bought for €160,000 at the Arqana Arc Sale.

Their 3rd dam is a Wildenstein-bred Peinture Bleue, a Gr2 winner and the dam of Arc winner Peintre Célèbre.

MOUNT PELION (C2), IRE by Raven’s Pass ex Sundrop (Sunday Silence)
Prix des Maîtres d’Équipage (Unraced 2C&G, 1,800m Fibresand), November 8, Chantilly

Owner : Godolphin
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Godolphin
Rider : Mickaël Barzalona

Mount Pelion (Raven’s Pass) took his time bu delivered anyhow to beat a prominent Falconi (Siyouni) by half a length with a tough Mer Et Nuages (Lope de Vega) just behind for trainer André Fabre, who also saddled the winner.

Mount Pelion is the 7th foal out of the Japan-bred dam Sundrop (Sunday Silence), a Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Gr3) winner at Epsom, 2nd at 2 in the Fillies Mile (Gr1) for Godolphin. Her best foal to date was Whitman (Poet’s Voice), a Listed-winner at 2 in Britain for trainer Mark Johnston, geared to a few handicaps and exported to Dubai.

VOLADORA (F2), IRE by Medaglia d’Oro ex Aviacion (Know Heights)
Prix de la Capitainarie de Chasse (Unraced 2F, 1,800m Fibresand), November 8, Chantilly

Owner : Godolphin
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Godolphin
Rider : Mickaël Barzalona

Voladora (Medaglia d’Oro) did well to flank the leading Queen Roselyn (Savabeel) of this competitive 14-strong field of fillies with a 13 draw. Agathe Sainte (Holy Roman Emperor) was the first to move in the straight but she couldn't hold Voladora in the end, losing 2nd place to a closing Northern Beam (Teofilo). The four fillies were all way above the filed at the post.

Voladora completed here a first Godolphin maiden double this week. The homebred filly is out of the Brazilian mare Aviacion (Know Heights), a Group 1 winner in her native America whose dam's sire Liloy ran in France for Daniel Wildenstein and won the Prix d’Harcourt (Gr2) in 1976 before ending up in Brazil!

The best foal out of Aviacion to date, Promising Run (Hard Spun), is a 4yo filly. She won the Rockfel Stakes (Gr2) at 2, was 5th in the Coronation Stakes (Gr1) after spending a frist winter in Dubai, and won the Istanbul Trophy (Gr3) at Veliefendi before another Dubai consignment for the Winter. She was a Listed 3rd lately over Lingfield's polytrack!

COUNTY FAIR (C3), GB by Nayef ex Village Fête (Singspiel)
Prix de la Boucle d’En Haut (3yo Maiden, 2,800m Fibresand), November 8 novembre 2017 à Chantilly

Owner : Khalid Abdullah
Trainer : David Smaga
Breeder : Juddmonte Farms
Rider : Grégory Benoist

It was a first over 2,800m and Chantilly's all-weather for County Fair (Nayef) who nailed it from pillar to post for his 7th attempt. The David Smaga-trained colt bravely held off Cadencia (Shamardal), who couldn't keep up all the way and conceded by a length.

Bred by Juddmonte farms for Khalid Abdullah, County Fair almost made it twice to Tattersalls at Newmarket, but was withdrawn on both occasions, lately on November 1st !

He's the 7th foal out of Village Fête (Singspiel), a Listed winner over 1m1/2 for the same connections, hence a brother to King’s Fete (King’s Best), a dual Gr3- winner in England over 1m1/2 and 1m5 1/2f.

The dam was sold for £27,000 in 2015, and she also has a yearling by Sea the Moon sold €60,000 at the Baden-Baden sale to Richard Venn last September.

BE MY SHERIFF (C3), GB by Lawman ex Bezzaaf (Machiavellian)
Prix du Parc du Manoir (3yo Maiden, 1,900m Fibresand), November 9, Chantilly

Owner : Nadine Siepmann
Trainer : Miroslav Rulec
Breeder : Gestüt Gorsldorf
Rider : Théo Bachelot

Be My Sheriff (Lawman) has already won over Chantilly's turf in a Class 1 race in May but was disqualified for a positive test, hence his presence in this maiden race.

Meanwhile, his trainer Miroslav Rulec had rated him high enough to take part in the Qipco Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, Gr1), finishing 9th.

Back in racinbg after a lengthy spell consecutive to his disqualification, he won very easily here, even though the second-placed Ashtaneh (More Than Ready) finished only a length and a half behind him, as the 3rd-placed Past Sina (Siyouni), also from Germany, was beaten by over three lengths.

Bought €36,000 in Baden-Baden by owner Nadine Siepmann, Be My Sheriff is out of Bezzaaf (Machiavellian), a winner at 3 in Britain, whose sister Zaskar (Anabaa), was 2nd in the Prix Urban Sea (L) in 2008 at Lion d’Angers.

IKEN WATER (F3), FRA by Kyllachy ex Danny’s Choice (Compton Place)
Prix de la Seigneurie (3yo Maiden, 1,300m Fibresand), November 9, Chantilly

Owner : Guy Heald
Trainer : Henri-Alex Pantall
Breeder : Guy Heald
Rider : Pierre-Charles Boudot

Iken Water (Kyllachy) won pretty cosily, eventually, over this 6 1/2 furlongs contest on the Chantilly all-weather. She beat Red Chois (Choisir), the early mover in the straight, only to lose the 2nd place on the wire to Waleed (Muhtathir). It was Iken Water's sixth race, although she never was worse than 5th and has netted over €46,000 in winnings and premiums!

Iken Water was withdrawn at Arqana Julyand no black-type is used in her catalogue page closer to her 3rd dam.

ZUCCHINI (M2), GB by Dubawi ex Zofzig (Danzig)
Prix Chapeau Rouge (Unraced 2C&G, 1,500m), November 10, Saint-Cloud

Owner : Godolphin
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Godolphin
Rider : Mickaël Barzalona

Fast ahead, Zucchini (Dubawi) struggled a bit when Story of My Life (Siyouni) took off entering the straight but he somehow recoveed and found his momentum to finally reach Friendly Agreement (Siyouni), who had taken over the lead, with Cabaleiro (Literato) and Mon Ami l’Ecossais (Orpen) closing in his wake. Friendly Agreement bent on Story of My Life after passing her and it could have cost him the victory here.

Zucchini is a brother to Zip Top (Smart Strike), a 2nd in the Racing Post Trophy (Gr1) won by Camelot but was never able to reach such a level again: now trained by John Ferguson, he's won twice over hurdles last season. Their dam Zoftig (Cozzene) is a Group 1 winner in America, mère de deux gagnantes de classiques newyorkais, les Mother Goose Stakes (Gr1) Zo Impressive (Hard Spun) et les Acorn Stakes (Gr1) pour Zaftig (Gone West).

MUSIS AMICA (F2), IRE by Dawn Approach ex White Star (Darshaan)
Prix Allée d’Amour (Unraced, 2F, 1,500m), November 10, Saint-Cloud

Owner : Godolphin
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Godolphin
Rider : Mickaël Barzalona

Musis Amica (Dawn Approach) followed Amazing Lips (Camelot) to the lead and took over in a quite professional manner while her pacemaker only kept the 2nd place as So Much Joy (Kitten’s Joy) loomed to fail only by a nose in 3rd.

Musis Amica's 4yo sister Blanche Neige (Halling), a winner at Saint-Malo and Angers for trainer Henri-Alex Pantall, is for sale at Goffs in Ireland, in foal to Night of Thunder. Both sisters are out of White Star (Darshaan), like Harland (Halling), winner of the Prix Eugène Adam-Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte (Gr2) for his 5th and last race. White Star's dam White Star Line (Northern Dancer) won three Group1s Stateside including Kentucky Oaks (Gr1), no less.