14 July 2019
Photo scoopdyga.com
The favourite Inns of Court (Invincible Spirit) has long seemed to have the Prix de Ris-Orangis (Gr3) under control, Saturday at Maisons-Laffitte. Despite a 6lbs overweight due to his Gr2-win in the Gros-Chene at Chantilly, he was still very much in command as the last of the 6 furlongs loomed.
King Malpic (King's Best) and Olivier Peslier, however, were not quite ready to oblige and they kept on trying to finally see the favourite crumble in the last fifty yards and give way for a 3/4 of a length romp. Second last year to the same Inns of Court, the duo takes revenge quite logically: beaten by two lengths in 2018, they dominated by almost a length the following year, which corresponds almost exactly to the difference in weight that differs from one year to the next.
That said, the Godolphin horse didn't seem as good as he was at Chantilly over 5 furlongs.
Trained at La Teste by Thierry Lemer, King Malpic is a 6-year-old grey gelding. He is racing for for Émilie Lafeu. He was bought from his breeder, Haras de la Louvière, as a weanling in December 2013 in Deauville for € 6,000 by Éric Lemaître. He was the first foal out of the unraced mare Sablonnière (Ice Storm) and his prizemoney and bonuses are now approaching € 450,000.
His younger brother by Wootton Bassett was bought as a yearling last year for € 110,000 by Gerard Larrieu for Jean-Louis Bouchard, who named him Dream Works and sent him to trainer Fabrice Chappet.