€80,000 Lys Longines: Rubis Vendome plays the long game

Sunday 18th June 2023, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). - The biggest outsider in the €80,000 Prix du Lys Longines (Gr3), Rubis Vendôme (Galiway), silenced everyone at 20/1 in the final hundred yards. Second in the Prix de l'Avre (L) behind Winter Pudding, later only eleventh in the French Derby, Rubis Vendome had not appeared since then, which was 49 days ago. Held back in this 1m4f race, a well-used prep for the Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1), he slipped between the leading contenders one out and won by nearly a length with style, defeating Silawi (Dubawi), the less fancied of the two Wertheimer & Frère representatives, as his stablemate Maniatic (Intello) started as the favourite. However, Maniatic failed to pass Silawi after following him along the rail, but still managed to hold on to third place ahead of Devil in the Sky (Starspangledbanner), who had to travel wide throughout the race.

Rubis Vendôme represents his breeder, Guy Pariente. His dam is Classe Vendôme (Kendargent), a sister to the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000, Gr1) winner Style Vendôme (Anabaa) and the placed horses in the Criterium International (Gr1) and the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Gr1), Prestige Vendôme (Orpen). Rubis Vendôme is the third foal and the first colt out of Classe Vendôme. He is also her first winner.

Her first foal, a Dansili filly born in 2018, was purchased for €230,000 at the Arqana yearling sales by Blandford Bloodstock Ltd. Her second filly, by Kingman, was unsold at €200,000, and so was Rubis Vendôme in 2020 at the August yearling sales at €100,000.

A 2-year-old Territories Colt is in training with Philippe Sogorb. Another one was born in 2022 from a mating to Hello Youmzain.