Duc d'Anjou 4yo Chase: Losange Vert takes the lead

Saturday, March 13, 2021, Auteuil (Paris). – One could expect that four months after a Congress 3yo Chase (Gr2) dominated by Magic Dream (Saint of Saints) and Hades (Masterstroke), the two young leading chasers would meet again around the post of the Duc d’Anjou 4yo Chase (Gr3), a first step on the Parisian 4-year-old chasers’ trail. Well, it didn’t happen that way.

Hades was leading the field when he took his flight too early at the Stands’ River, which caused him to slip and unseat his rider upon landing. Before that fateful jump, Losange Vert (Montmartre) had already moved ahead but he was happily leaving his stablemate Premier Vert (Network) to take over in the backstretch. Yet, as the favourite Magic Dream was struggling to keep up, he took the lead again and never looked back from then on. He who finished fourth in the Congress 3yo Chase last November at the of a first campaign of nine races took off in the run-in, leaving Magic Dream to finish 2^nd at twelve lengths, while Gardiala (Kapgarde) ended her trip in the most pleasing way at fourteen other lengths, 42 days after winning her first chase at Pau.

Losange Vert was bred by Mrs. Patrick Papot. His dam Sweet Valrose (Cadoudal) finished 2^nd in two hurdle races, at Enghien and Auteuil, at the age of 3 for Vicenzo Esposito. She then foaled several winners before joining Papot family, Losange vert being the first product of this label with this mare. She then gave a colt by Martaline and another by Night Wish.