€400,000 Qatar Lagardère: Belbek is climbing again
Photo scoopdyga.com
October 2, 2022, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). – Outsider Belbek (Showcasing) bravely won the €400,000 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr1) for owner Hurlan Bizakov and his French breeding estate Sumbe. Over the 7 furlong-trip of this Grand Critérium, Vicious Harry (Harry Angel) took the lead despite his outside 8 draw. He was soon joined by the Irish raider Pivotal Trigger (Pivotal), followed by Gamestop (Lope de Vega) and Belbek. In the final straight, the seven runners all had the opportunity to gain ground but soon Gamestop and Belbek were competing for the trophy after taking over the early leaders. Belbek would finally prevail by a neck while Breizh Sky (Pedro the Great), long held last, finished strongly to take the 3rd place at a neck. The favoured Shartash (Invincible Spirit) had to oblige in 4th without seeming to pick up in the final stages.
Belbek was running for the 6th time of his career. He had failed for his debut in April over a very soft ground but won twice after that, snatching the Prix du Bois Longines (Gr3) for his third outing. 4th in the Darley Prix Robert Papin (Gr2), the 5th in the Darley Prix de Cabourg (Gr2), he was coming back here after two months for his first trial over more than 6 furlongs.
Bred by Sumbe in Normandy, Belbek is the second foal out of the Juddmonte-bred Bee Queen (Makfi), a mare bought for £50,000, maiden, at the end of her 3-year-old season, at Newmarket. Her second dam is Banks Hill (Danehill), also trained by André Fabre. A Gleneagles colt was born in 2021.