€80,000 Bois Longines: Belbek, promising again

Sunday, June 19, 2022, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – Eighth for his debut in April on this racecourse, and on very soft ground, Belbek (Showcasing) went on to win at Saint-Cloud over 6 furlongs in a promising style. Here, again over 6 furlongs and back in Chantilly for the Prix du Bois Longines (Gr3), he started as the favourite against nine fillies after the last-minute withdrawal of Axdaliva (Elusive City), who caused an incident in the starting stalls. Homebred by Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe stud farm, he first followed the front-running Lova (Goken) and took over in the last furlong to win by a length and a half, again in a good, understated style, Lova herself keeping a good length over Havana Angel (Havana Grey) in the middle of the course.

Belbek is out of Bee Queen (Makfi), a Juddmonte homebred bought for £50,000 at Tattersalls breeding sales in 2017. Fourth for her two outings under the training of Dermot Weld, she is a granddaughter of Banks Hill, a champion filly who, like Belbek, was trained by André Fabre. Before him, the mare produced Berehynia (New Approach), placed last winter in Cagnes-sur-Mer under the same colours, and then a Gleneagles yearling colt.