€80,000 Darley Chloé (Gr3): Blush flies high Wertheimer colours

Sunday, 14 July 2024, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – Eight fillies lined up for the €80,000 Darley Prix Chloé (Gr3), a 9f race for 3-year-old fillies, and almost all eight were still in contention at the finish line, except for the early leader St Elvira (Ectot).

The Wertheimers' homebred Blush (Kingman) prevailed, launching her move at the right moment to fend off the strong late challenge of the English favourite, Skellet (Kingman), who had been stuck in the field for much of the race. Less than a length behind, Love Rush (Siyouni) finished strongly from the rear to take third place, half a length ahead of the handsome Ci Mer (Siyouni).

This victory marked Blush's third consecutive win. Following a successful seasonal debut in March, three months after her promising debut in December at Deauville, she finished sixth in the Al Shira'aa Prix Vanteaux (Gr3) and fifth in a handicap under a 90lbs tag. Blush went on to win a Class 2 and a Class 1 at Compiègne over 9.5f before this successful return to Group level.

Blush's dam, Lady of Shamrock (Scat Daddy), won two Gr1 races in California at three and placed at the top level again the following year. She was purchased for $2 million by the Wertheimers at the Keeneland breeding stock sales in 2016 and has since produced eight foals, including the Listed winner and Prix du Lys (Gr3) third, Martel (Frankel), born in 2019.

In December last year at Deauville, Shawn Dugan bought another of her offspring, the 3-year-old Eriu (Galileo), a race winner, for €220,000. A 2-year-old colt by Saxon Warrior is currently in training with Christophe Ferland.