€130,000 Grand Prix de Chantilly: Simca Mille holds his ground

Sunday 4th June 2023, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). - Few starters, but quite an interesting Grand Prix de Chantilly (Gr2), won by the odds-on favourite Simca Mille (Tamayuz), who had just finished second in the Prix Ganay (Gr1) won by Irésine (Manduro). Revealed on this racecourse last year in the Prix du Lys (Gr3), the Stéphane Wattel-trained proved once again his aptitude for good ground and proved irresistible.

Off to a good start and held outside the leader Kertez (Intello), the Haras de la Perelle-homebred easily broke away in the straight to win by more than three lengths under Alexis Pouchin. Lastoychka (Myboycharlie) gave a good effort but had to settle for third place.

Simca Mille's dam is Swertia (Pivotal), who won twice over 1m1/2 for Haras de la Pérelle. Simca Mille is her first foal, followed by Sadia, a 3-year-old by Kodiac, who missed her debut in November at Deauville, a 2-year-old by Invincible Spirit and a Sea the Moon yearling colt.

Simca Mille was unsold at 68,000 euros at Arqana. More recently, in December 2021, at the Tattersalls breeding sales, Flight to Fancy (Galileo), a winning sister of Swertia in foal to Cracksman, was sold for 10,000 pounds to Westgate Stud.

Swertia comes from an Aga Khan-managed bloodline. Haras de La Perelle had acquired her dam Sanjida (Polish Precedent), a Group-placed mare and sister of the champion racing mare Sarafina (double Prix Saint-Alary and Prix de Diane, before winning the following year the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud), before selling her at the Arqana breeding sales in 2013 for 320,000 euros to Eliza Park International.