€80,000 Arenberg (Gr3): Aesterius in his grade
Photo scoodpyga.com
ParisLongchamp, Sunday, September 1st, 2024 – The favourite, Aesterius (Mehmas), secured a comfortable victory in the €80,000 Prix d'Arenberg (Gr3), a five-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds. Only one French-trained runner, La Samana (Goken), participated, but she could not challenge in the final stages. Drawn in stall one, Aesterius was able to take the lead and the rail, with the Irish challenger Treasure Isle (No Nay Never) alongside and Kaadi (Soldier's Call) racing prominently on their outside. Despite drifting slightly towards the stands in the closing strides, Aesterius prevailed by over a length. His two rivals battled it out for the minor placings, momentarily threatened by Englemere (Goken), who had tracked them throughout. Kaadi proved the stronger of the two, securing second place, a short neck ahead of Treasure Isle, with Englemere finishing a close fourth, nearly a length further back.
Trained in England by Archie Watson for Whatnan Racing, the winner had previously won two races and was coming off a second-place finish in the Molecomb Stakes (Gr3) over the same distance at Goodwood. He has been through the sales ring thrice, finding a new owner each time. Initially sold as a foal at Newmarket for £52,000, he was then resold as a yearling, again at Tattersalls, for £60,000. Finally, he was purchased by Blandford Bloodstock for £380,000 at the Goffs UK breeze-up sales last April. Aesterius is the first foal out of the unraced Jane Doe (Hallowed Crown), a daughter of the Group 3 winner Snowdrops (Gulch), who is also the dam of Tawhid (Invincible Spirit), a Group 3 winner and placed in the German 2000 Guineas.