14 July 2019
Photo scoopdyga.com
Since he started to race almost exclusively in France in May 2017, the grey Way To Paris (Champs Elysees) had not won a single race. Over the course of his fourteen races in the country, Paolo Ferrario's handsome gray, bred in Great Britain by the Grundy Bloodstock owned by the Vittadinis, a great family of Italian breeders, had still won nearly € 130,000 - it would have been much more if he had been bred in France and eligible to the premiums! Trained by Andrea Marcialis at Chantilly, the horse has however finished seven times on the podium since in Group 2 and 3 races in France and Milan.
His victory, Sunday, July 14 at ParisLongchamp, in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2), over 2,800 metres, or 1m6f, is welcomed with all the more happiness by his connections. Stayers are often a school of patience and an example of courage. The victory of Way To Paris against the defending champion Marmelo (Duke of Marmalade), beaten with a nose after a fierce fight that left the third-placed Ligne d'Or (Dansili) at four lengths, is a new demonstration of this courage.
Winning rider Cristian Demuro gave the best trip to Way To Paris, behind the ever front-running Holdthasigreen (Hold That Tiger), again a little below his best level on Sunday night. Going into the last straight, it was obvious Demuro would fave some trouble to find the gap, as there wasn't any rail opening that night, but Call The Wind (Frankel) moved outwards after the bend and a gap was opened between him and the leadr, only to be closed when Call The Wind came back inwards, causing an interference which bounced back to Marmelo on the outside of the front line ...
The stewards judged that he had all the time required to dent Way to Paris's edge, but never went passed him.
Way to Paris was running for the third time in his career over a distance over 1m4f. Second in the Prix de Barbeville (Gr3) and the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Gr2), he has reached a new level and must now confirm his ability as a stayer with the very best.
The grey was bought £ 50,000 yearling at Tattersalls in 2014. His dam Gray Way (Cozzene) won the Premio Lydia Tesio (Gr2) in Rome-Capannelle for owner Dr Carlo Vittadini before entering stud. She has given Distant Way (Distant View), a dual winner of Premio Presidente della Repubblica (Gr1), and several other winners before Way To Paris, who seems to reach his peak at 6-years-old only...