18 March 2017
photo scoopdyga.com
A faller at Auteuil two weeks earlier, 5yo mare Perfect Impulse avenged herself in Prix Troytown Chase (Gr3) while 3yo champion hrudling filly De Bon Coeurcale back in style in the Prix d'Indy Hurdle (Gr3).
Saturday, March 18th, Auteuil racecourse (Paris). - The two only 5yos to start in the €155,000 Prix Troytown Chase (Gr3), the meeting’s top contest, prevailed as Perfect Impulse (Poliglote) defeated Paulougas (Turgeon) in the run-in with favourite and 2014 French Gold Cup winner Storm of Saintly (Saint des Saints) only 3rd three lengths back. Owned by trainer Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé and Richard Corveller (breeder of Cheltenham Gold Cup 4th Jakadam), bred by Olivier Tricot in Normandy, Perfect Impulse won the Prix Morgex Chase (Gr3) last season beating Cobra de Larre (Discover d’Auteuil), who won a Hurdle Listed-race at Auteuil since then. She’s out of Aubane (Cadoudal), a dual Hurdle Listed-race winner at Auteuil and the dam of 6 individual winners of a combined €632,000…
Prix d’Indy 4yo Hurdle race (Gr3) went to the favorite De Bon Cœur (Saint des Saints), winner at the Prix Cambaceres 3yo Hurdle Race Championship (Gr1) last season.
Trained by Francois Nicolle for owner-breeder Jacques Detré, the filly reassured her connections for this come back, "although I’d like to have her more focused in racing", said the winning trainer, even though rider James Reveley said he hadn’t been worried following the leading grey D’Vina (Smadoun), who had to oblige in 2nd in the final sprint home. De Bon Cœur will carry on towards the Prix Alain du Breil 4yo Hurdle (Gr1) on June 11th.
3yo AQPS Echiquier Royal (Martaline) easily held on the the Prix Rush 3yo Hurdle race, the very first of the season for younger jumpers at Auteuil. A brother to 2007 Prix Duc d'Anjou 4yo Chase (Gr3) Playing (Astarabad), Echiquier Royal is owned by the Papot Family and trained by Dominique Bressou, who said he’d always been impressed by the youngster’s focus and professionalism.
For the record, the winner’s 2nd dam Nordica III (Orvilliers) won the AQPS Flat race Prix du Bourbonnais (AQPS-Gr2) back in 1982, beating a distant 7th named… Nupsala, subsequently winner of a King George VI Chase (Gr1) beating Desert Orchid…
Bagatelle de Thaix (Fragrant Mix) and Baraka de Thaix (Dom Alco) took first and 2nd place in the Prix Fernand Roy AQPS Chase. As their name suggests, both were bred by Nievre breeder Michel Bourgneuf, who lost the winner’s older brother Consul de Thaix on Wednesday at Cheltenham but celebrated the birth of her Poliglote sister last week…