5 August 2018
Photo scoopdyga.com
The 3-year-old filly Polydream (Oasis Dream) went alone to catch home the English raider James Garfield (Exceed and Excel), also 3 years old, in the last strides of the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1), Sunday in Deauville. James Garfield was wearing blinkers for the first time after finishing seventh in the Jersey Stakes (Gr3) at Royal Ascot.
By winning her first Group 1 race, the filly gave her breeders the Wertheimer family a seventh mention in the race's history. It was also trainer Freddy Head's 7th win in that contest.
The two 3yos beat their eldest The Tin Man (Equiano) by two and a half lengths. French favorite City Light (Siyouni) finished fifth behind Librisa Breeze (Mount Nelson) in a race contested by twenty runners.
Polydream remains undefeated in three outings at Deauville, where she won for her debut in the Prix de Lisieux, a race won last weekend by the promising Tasleya. In the wake, Polydream also won the Shadwell Prix du Calvados (Gr3) last Summer before finishing second in the Total Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1) behind Wild Illusion (Dubawi), which has won the Qatar Nassau Stakes (Gr1) at Goodwood a week earlier. This season, Polydream started straight in the Abu Dhabi Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas, Gr1) by an unfortunate fourteenth place on the Grande Piste in ParisLongchamp with a terrible 13 draw. She avenged herself however on the Prix du Palais-Royal (Gr3)'s 7 furlongs trip by beating older horses, including the 2nd-placed Inns of Court (Invincible Spirit), onli 15th on Sunday.
Polydream's younger sister by Invincible Spirit, Big Brothers Pride, was sold € 400,000 at Arqana in August last year. She was consigned by the Écurie des Monceaux, who bought their dam Polygreen (Green Tune), in fola to the filly, for €200,000 at the Arqana Breeding sales in 2015. She is now in training with François Rohaut.
A double Listed winner over 7 furlongs, Polygreen had previously been deemed worthy of competing in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Gr1) for the Wertheimers and finished seventh. Her best daughter before Polydream, Evaporation (Red Ransom), avenged her by winning the Prix Amandine in which she had finished second.