4 September 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
September 4, 2022, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). – Winner of his first two races at 2 overt the all-weather and at 3 over 1m2f at Nottingham, then ninth in the Epsom Derby at 40/1, West Wind Blows (Teofilo) went on to take quick revenge over 1m3f at Hamilton before failing again at the best level, this time at Goodwood…
He had to cross the Channel to win his Group race finally, and in a convincing fashion, in the Prix du Prince d’Orange (Gr3).
The race was led by the promising and favourite Epic Poet (Lope de Vega), who could not contain for long the first challenge thrown by Ilic (Iffraaj), who always travelled behind the leader and took the lead one furlong out. Yet, coming off a long effort that started about three furlongs out, outside without cover, the English raider loomed outside, and even though he veered right about 300 yards out, he kept going to win handily, by almost two lengths, beating Ilic, while Epic Poet did well to keep the third place at two other lengths, a head in front of Star of India (Galileo) and Mountaha (Guiliani), who came from afar and took long to reach momentum (he timed the second best time in the last furlong behind the winner).
West Wind Blows is out of the Diane winner West Wind (Machiavellilian). Also bred by Godolphin, his sister Basic Beauty (Dubawi), a Maiden filly who was withdrawn at Tattersalls last December. Another colt by Teofilo was born in 2020. It is the family of champions Thunder Snow and Balanchine, in the hands of the Al Maktoum family for many generations, from an American bloodline.