€400,000 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac - Critérium des Pouliches (Gr1): Opera lead Singer

Sunday, 1st October 2023, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris) – Favourite for the €400,000 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Critérium des Pouliches (Gr1), the Irish filly Opera Singer (Justify) utterly dominated her nine 2-year-old rivals, leading from start to finish and crossing the line five lengths ahead of the best French contender, Rose Bloom (Lope de Vega), who enjoyed an ideal trip tracking the leader.

Finishing third, Les Pavots (No Nay Never) put in a strong finish, less than a length behind. Also noteworthy is the commendable fourth-place finish of Ribaltagaia (Blame), who too had raced by the rail behind the two first fillies.

Bred in the USA, Opera Singer was initially listed for the Keeneland yearling sales, which she ultimately did not go to. Her dam Liscanna (Sadler’s Wells) was trained in Ireland, where she won at Group 3 level, before producing two Group 1 winners at 2 years old: Brave Anna (War Front) and Hit A Bomb (War Front). She is also a sister to the excellent The Bogberry (Hawk Wing), who was placed in the Prix d’Harcourt (Gr2) and Prix Dollar (Gr2).