€250,000 Cambacérès: St Donats supreme in French 3yo hurdling championship

Sunday, November 13, 2022, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). – The favourite St Donats (Saint des Saints) took brilliant revenge in the €250,000 Cambacérès 3yo Hurdle race (Gr1), four weeks after being overtaken in the Georges de Talhouët-Roy 3yo Hurdle race (Gr2) on the same course by the Irish raider McTigue (Fracas), who faded to finish only 6th this time.

Trained by Hugo Mérienne for English owner William John Williams, the winning gelding led all the way and accelerated decisively in the final turn, leaving his Irish challenger without reaction, and he won by eleven lengths ahead of Not Too Bad (No Risk at All), who had consistently skulked the first two, and Bolero (Pastorius), also pointed near the leaders along the way.

The winning dam Cue to Cue (King's Theatre) was raced in Britain, winning twice over jumps there. In France, she gave Romako (Saints of the Saints), a winner of three races, and Missed Cue (Kapgarde), a Listed-placed earlier this season.

The yearling sister to St Donats by Doctor Dino is for sale on November 16 at Arqana.