Arqana Lieurey : Commes and Twist 'N' Shake clash on Deauville's mile
Photos scoopdyga.com
Ten 3-year-old fillies line up Thursday, August 15 at Deauville for the Arqana Prix de Lieurey (Gr3), a mile race with a turn. Last year, the race went to Wind Chimes, a year after Lady Frankel, also trained by André Fabre. Wind Chimes went on to finish second in the Prix de Moulin de Longchamp (Gr1).
As luck would have it, over the last fifteen years, three trainers have won the race two years in a row, namely Jean-Claude Rouget with Cicerole (2007) and Sefroua (2008), then François Rohaut with Via Medici (2010) and Sandy's Charm (2011). Alain de Royer Dupré and Carlos Laffon Parias have also won the "Lieurey" twice since 2004, but not consecutively. Only two foreign yards won in the same period.
Second in The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas, Gr1) and in the Prix de Diane Longines (French oaks, Gr1), and in her two previous outings, Commes (Le Havre) tries to find the winning path that eludes her since her debut at 2. Owned by the great Japanese breeder Teruya Yoshida, she will have to dread mainly the English raider Twist 'N' Shake (Kingman), who easily won a Listed on this course after finishing fourth in the Coronation Stakes (Gr1) won by Watch Me at Royal Ascot.
The best on paper to test the two favourites are the coming back Tifosa (Kodiac), away since her sixth place in a Gr3 in April, Fount (Frankel), who the English favourite beat by three and a half lengths last time out, Silva (Kodiac), sixth in the French Guineas for her return after a Meydan tour and absent since, and the consistent Matematica (Rock of Gibraltar), with ratings between 101 and 103. Next comes Stone Tornado (Toronado), a Listed winner at La Teste for her debut in France after an Italian career, and Noor Sahara (Lope de Vega), so impressive in the Prix de Pontarmé (L) mile before capping on Prix de Diane Longines's longer trip. These two fillies are rated 99lbs, two pounds better than Nooramunga (Siyouni). Grace Spirit (Invincible Spirit), finally, is rated only 83lbs but this Haras de la Pérelle homebred is certainly able to do better now.