3 October 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, October 3, 2020, ParisLongchamp. - It was expected that the 3-year-old fillies would dominate their elders in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Gr1) and they indeed filled the podium of this championship promoted in 2019 and contested over 1m6f.
Favourite of the race after finishing a good fifth in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Gr1), Wonderful Tonight (Le Havre) led the whole race and she had to keep on going all the way to hold off the Irish raider Pista (American Pharoah), who finished well, but above all kept her path along the rail. The David Menuisier filly, on the other hand, leaned outward in the home stretch and she only won by a good length. The two fillies end up clear of the third-placed Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor), at five lengths.
Bought € 40,000 at the yearling sales in Deauville, Wonderful Tonight won her first race at Saint-Cloud after her debut across the Channel, all at 2. Back this season in June over 10 furlongs, she just beat Oriental Mystique but was then unable to do anything at ParisLongchamp against Valia, winner of the Qatar Prix Chaudenay (Gr2) against the colts in this same card. She went on to win the Prix Minerve (Gr3) at Deauville before her 5th place in the "Vermeille", after leading most of the race once again.
She is a sister to Penjade (Air Chief Marshall), winner of several races in the USA after starting her career in France. She also has a full sister, a 2-year-old in training with Pascal Bary, a yearling brother by Recorder, followed by a weanling filly also by Recorder.
What they said
- Tony Piccone (jockey of Wonderful Tonight, 1st)
“Once she is headed in a race she does a bit too much and it’s for this reason that last-time at ParisLongchamp, even though we were just behind the leader, she was quite complicated. If the race was run over 2,400m I certainly would have made more use of her. But I really wanted her to be alone and have no horses around her here. For the mare and her connections I really would have been disappointed to be beaten. Sometimes she pulls quite hard but continues to breathe regularly. Coming down the hill she was feeling great and I left her stride-on accordingly. Then she began to hang, but as we were alone I let her continue to cross the track, she’s truly incredible! After the race, she calms back down, it’s exceptional really. I am very happy”
- Shane Crosse (jockey of Pista, 2nd)
“She has run really well there. She was very brave all the way to the line and handled the ground fine. It’s a shame to be beaten by so little”
- Alain de Royer Dupré (trainer of Ebaiyra, 3rd)
“She has run well, she isn’t really a heavy ground mare. She can be a little weak at the finish sometimes but she is good. She hasn’t run since August and I think if she had an extra race in her legs she would have been closer. Today it wasn’t the distance that beat us. The winner is a good mare and we are very satisfied. Ebaiyra is still unexposed and has a big future ahead of her. As she does not really like the heavy ground I don’t think we will see her out until next year”