€80,000 Fontainebleau (Gr3): Ramadan has all the cards

Sunday, 14 April 2024, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). – The two favourites clashed one furlong out in the €80,000 Prix de Fontainebleau (Gr3), the main French Two Thousand Guineas Trial and the most forward of the pair ultimately had the last word. Leading the race, Ramadan (Le Havre), who had won the Prix Omnium II (Listed) four weeks earlier—a race specifically tailored for such a route—courageously fended off the rather aggressive challenge from the returning Beauvatier (Lope de Vega), who only stayed on after looking like overtaking him.

Beaten by nearly a length, Beauvatier, third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr1) in his last race, is likely to meet his rival again in the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, Gr1) in four weeks. Of course, both are entered in this race, as is the third-placed Grey Man (Wootton Bassett), who finished well just three-quarters of a length behind.

However, options remain open about Ramadan, who took fourth place in last year’s Critérium de Saint-Cloud (Gr1) over 1m2f and was also entered in the Prix François Mathet (Listed) on the day of the Omnium II over 10.5f.

Ramadan is the 5th foal out of Raushan (Dalakhani), who ran three times at three for Nurlan Bizakov. She had been purchased for £400,000 at the Tattersalls yearling sales—her second dam is a sister to a Prix de Diane winner and herself a dam of champions. At stud, Raushan immediately produced a promising filly, Rasima (Iffraaj), who was placed in a Group 3 and won a Listed race on the all-weather track at Lingfield, all at the age of three. She raced 19 times over three seasons without ever really failing, except for a less consistent final season.

Following Ramadan, Raushan produced a daughter by Showcasing in 2022 and a son by Wootton Bassett in 2023. Her 2019-born daughter, Rastaba (Siyouni), still unraced, was sold in foal to Golden Horde at the Arqana breeding sales last December for €26,000 to BBA Ireland.