€165,000 La Barka Hurdle: Super Alex's very best feat

June 11, 2022, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). – Mostly placed in lower handicaps before, Super Alex (Alex The Winner) had never run in a Gr2 until this 75th running of the €165,000 La Barka Hurdle (Gr2), generally seen as a Grande Course de Haies reset. Held up in the first half of the race, the Jean-Philippe Dubois-trained 7-year-old gelding dug deep to finally beat the front-running Colbert du Berlais (Poliglote) by a neck. Also raced behind, his stablemate Grand Art (Evasive) finished third at 3 lengths, a month after his winning chase return at Dieppe.

Bred by Dream With Me Stables, Super Alex is the best foal out of the good mare Super Lina (Linamix), a Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1) fourth. She also gave an Olympic Glory colt in training with Jean de Mieulle. The winning dam is a sister to Super Célèbre (Peintre Célèbre), a Prix du Jockey Club 2nd behind Dalakhani, and to Super Pie (Pivotal), dam of French 2,000 Guineas winner Olmedo (Declaration of War). Super Alex's then 3-year-old gelding brother Saint Langis (Sidestep) was sold for €11,000 at the Arqana 2021 Summer Sale to Brigitte Ré-Scandella, who trained him on to win Auteuil Pride of Kildare 3-year-old beginners' Hurdle race (L).