€80,000 Qatar Prix du Pin (Gr3): Topgear times it well
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Sunday, September 15, 2024, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). – Two of the nine runners in the €80,000 Qatar Prix du Pin (Gr3), a stepping stone to the Qatar Prix de la Forêt (Gr1), also run over the 7 furlongs of the "Nouvelle Piste", shared the favor of the press and the forecasts: The 2nd in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1) Exxtra (Starspangledbanner) and the 4th in the Prix Jean Prat (Gr1) Sajir (Make Believe). The punters, on the other hand, had chosen Topgear (Wootton Bassett), probably on the strength of his 2nd place in the Prix Quincey (Gr3), three weeks earlier for his comeback after almost five months of absence. The 5-years-old horse had also scored at 2 in the Prix Eclipse (Gr3) a this time of the season.
It was the latter who finally had the last word after travelling in the front alongside the leader Mount Athos (Dark Angel). The representative of Hisaaki Sato, since this year in training with Christopher Head, however had to maintain his effort until the end because if he had taken several lengths from his opponents one out, the pugnacious Ten Bob Tony (Night of Thunder), 4th in the German Guineas (Gr2) and finally 2nd by half a length, kept him going under pressure with Dark Trooper (Dark Angel) also finishing fast in the middle of the track.
Exxtra, held back in the race, finished 4th ahead of Sajir, always well placed…
Topgear is the 3rd foal out of Miss Lech (Giant's Causeway), after two minor winners. He fetched €200,000 for Chauvigny Global Equine at the 2020 yearling sales, which were held in September due to COVID.
From the 2nd dam, the origins cross the Atlantic: the 2nd dam Mystérieuse Etoile (Quiet American) is the dam, apart from Miss Lech, of Guilt Trip (Pulpit), a Gr2-winner Stateside before returning to the previous generation in Europe with, o the damside, cousins such as Conseil de Paris (Gr2) winner Majorien or Melbourne Cup (Gr1) winner Américain.