29 February 2020
Photos scoopdyga.com
MERIMIX (F3), FRA by Swiss Spirit ex Lounamix (Linamix)
€ 25,000 Prix du Val-de-Reuil (3yo maiden fillies, 1,900m/9.5f AWT), February 29, Deauville
Owner: NBH Racing (Prizemoney + Owner Premiums = € 19,250)
Trainer: Henri-Alex Pantall
Breeder: Azienda Agricola Le Ferriere (Breeder Premiums 8.5% as not sired in France = € 1,636)
Rider: Julien Guillochon
Fifth, sixth then eleventh at two years old at Senonnes, Cholet and Durtal, in the Western part of France, Merimix (Swiss Spirit) was one of the outsiders for her return here, with a draw 10 to make things even more challenging. Her rider Julien Guillochon, however, got the filly to take the lead in the first bend. They were not challenged after that despite slowish fractions, as they were 1 second slower than the colts 3 furlongs out, getting off the bend. Rhodafrost (Silver Frost) made her move then after shadowing the leader, and it looked as if the race was within her grasp before both fillies suddenly slowed down, Merimix just holding off Via Gallica (Galiway). After a slow start, she trained the field and was still 3rd last in the final bend, but she finally found momentum in the last two furlongs, failing by only a short neck, beating Kundrie (Free Eagle), who'd run by the rail, and Rhodafrost.
But the best impression in the race is undoubtedly that produced by the beginner Dilar (Makfi): the Darpat homebred missed the start, was urged to make up the lost ground in the first two furlongs, and she ended up in a traffic jam, held in the last few strides in 7th. Yet she completed the last furlong faster than all her rivals (12''21 against 12''28 for Via Gallica). Click here to check the race's sectional timings.
The winner was bred in Calvados and consigned as a weanling by Haras du Hoguenet at the Deauville breeding sales, where she was sold for € 11,000 to bloodstock agent Paul Nataf. More recently, her younger sister by Toronado was unsold at the same sales at €1,500.
Merimix is the third winner foaled by Lounamix (Linamix), a Jean-Pierre Dubois-bred winner of four races with trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. It’s a family that goes back to Gr1 winners Fijar Tango and Lost World, brothers of Merimix’s third dam.
ALFAREEQ (C3), IRE by Dark Angel ex Urjuwaan (Cape Cross)
€ 25,000 Prix du Vaudreuil (3yo maiden colts and geldings, 1,900m/9.5f AWT), February 29, Deauville
Owner: Hamdan Al Maktoum (Prizemoney, no Premiums = € 12,500)
Trainer: Freddy Head
Breeder: Shadwell Estate (No premiums: Irishbred, not assimilated)
Rider: Aurélien Lemaître
An easy win for the race's odds-on favourite Alfareeq (Dark Angel), kept behind the leaders up until the final two furlongs and briefly challenged by 2nd favourite Safiyann (Zoffany), who couldn't keep up with him and finished 2nd at 1.5 lengths. The beginner Omméel (Le Havre), very promising, finished well two lengths behind.
The winner was homebred by Hamdan Al Maktoum. He'd started his career with a stout 2nd place over this very all-weather track but on 7.5 furlongs, beaten by Roberto Mount, who won again later on and was, like he, entered in the French 2,000 Guineas.
Alfareeq is the first foal out of Urjuwaan (Cape Cross), who won for the same connections on Chantilly's all-weather track at 2, beating subsequent French Derby winner New Bay, who was racing for the first time that day while Urjuwaan had already run once. She couldn't win again at three though and went to stud after that unsuccessful second term.
Urjuwaan is a sister to Raseed (Dubawi), a Prix Noailles (Gr3) winner. A Listed winner, her dam Sudoor (Fantastic Light) is out of a sister to the champion miler Bahri, a St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr1) and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr1) winner at Ascot.
Main entries: The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas, Gr1), Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, Gr1).
LIGHT THE FUSE (G3), IRE by Dandy Man ex Mandhooma (Oasis Dream)
€25,000 Prix de Bacqueville (Maiden 3yos, 1,500m/7.5f AWT), February 28, Deauville
Owners: Gérard Ferron & Élevage Pierre Levesque (Prizemoney, no Premiums = € 12,500)
Trainers: Patrick & François Monfort
Breeder: Ballyhane Stud (No premiums: Irishbred, not assimilated)
Rider: Maryline Eon
It was a fourteenth trial fo Light the Fuse (Dandy Man), but his fifth in France only - and the first since he was gelded in December. He was imported from Britain after being secured for £ 9,500 last Autumn at Newmarket by his trainers Patrick & François Monfort. He had been unable to win nine times in England, where he had been purchased £ 42,000 as a yearling.
He started well but was immediately checked by Maryline Eon, who claims a 3lbs allowance as a female-jockey. He sat in the rear and going off the bend, he managed to find his way in the middle of the track and took a head on the wire over Black Comedy (Le Havre). Deauville Dream (Requinto) started last but also finished strongly to take the third place half a length behind the first two home.
Light the Fuse hails from a family of useful sprinters. His dam Mandhooma (Oasis Dream), bred by Shadwell stud, won seven races - but made only £ 20,000 -, while four of her seven siblings also won without getting any back type, however.
HEALER (C3), FRA by Medicean ex Paiota Falls (Kris S)
€25,000 Prix de Saint-Valéry (Unraced 3yos, 1,500m/7.5f AWT), February 28, Deauville
Owners: Wertheimer & Frère (Prizemoney + Owner Premiums + Breeders Premiums = € 20,886)
Trainer: Christophe Ferland
Breeders: Wertheimer & Frère (Breeder Premiums 8.5% as not sired in France = € 1,636)
Rider: Julien Augé
After a sluggish start, Healer (Medicean) gradually made up ground by the rail, and even if he seemed to be slightly outpaced in the final turn, he finally managed to reach and beat the front-runner Freechope (Kheleyf) by a short head. Also owned by the Wertheimers, the second favourite Katafonic (Iffraaj), however, had all the trouble in the World and had to settle for seventh place.
Healer is one of the eight foals out of US-bred Paiota Falls (Kris S), sold $ 300,000 at Fasig-Tipton as a yearling, Stakes-placed and then sold again $ 800,000 to the Wertheimers, in foal to Pulpit, at 6.
She gave a Listed winner in the USA, and then African Ride (Candy Ride), a Listed winner in France sold € 460,000 at the Arqana Arc sale in 2018. He finished his career in the UAE. Winner at the Croisé-Laroche, his sister Intellina (Intello) was sold at the end of her 3-year-old season at Deauville for € 60,000 to BLM Bloodstock (Bertrand Le Métayer).
Paiota Falls's dam, the unraced Dance Swiftly (Danzig), is a full sister to Canadian Horse of the Year and Breeders’Cup Distaff (Gr1) winner Dance Smartly.
LIPSINK (M3), (IRE) par Kodiac et Iron Lips (Iron Mask)
€25,000 Prix de la Route des Pins (Maiden 3yos, 1,300m/6.5f AWT), February 21, Chantilly
Owners: Wertheimer & Frère (Prizemoney + Owner Premiums + Breeders Premiums = € 20,886)
Trainer: Carlos Laffon-Parias
Breeders: Wertheimer & Frère (Breeder Premiums 8.5% as not sired in France = € 1,636)
Rider: Crystal Miette
Lipsink (Kodiac) was able to take the lead at the start with his 1 draw, while Black Morning (Due Diligence), also ridden by a female jockey with an 8lbs allowance, came along in front of Red Fifty (Sidestep) and Yomogi (Zoffany). These four held on to the end, leaving the remainder of the field 3 lengths down the road in the end.
It was 3rd attempt for the winner, who hadn't run since October when 4th over ParisLongchamp's 7 furlongs trip. The Wertheimer & Frère homebred is out of the good 2yo performer Iron Lips (Iron Mask), a sister to the classic winner and sire Falco (Pivotal), a Gr3 winner and the dam of the maiden winner Soft Lips (Rahy), sold in foal of Nathaniel for €30,000 in December at the Arqana breeding sale.
Iron Lips' latest foals are a 2yo Belardo filly, and a Le Havre yearling filly.
DU TONNERRE (C3), FRA by War Command ex Priceless Baby (Peintre Célèbre)
Prix du Parc Laversin (3yo maiden colts and geldings, 1,900m/9.5f AWT), February 11, Chantilly
Owners: Micheline Vidal, Fabrice Vermeulen & Robert Collet (Prizemoney + Owner Premiums = € 19,250)
Trainer: Robert Collet
Breeders: Écurie du Cadran & Malcolm Parrish (Breeder Premiums 8.5% as not sired in France = € 1,636)
Rider: Sébastien Maillot
An encouraging 2nd to Lord Achilles at Deauville on the same trip and surface last time out, Du Tonnerre (War Command) once again took the lead in the long turn but he took off early and was never really challenged. He won by 3 lengths over Marlengo (Karakontie), who'd followed him all the way along the rail.
Bred by Écurie du Cadran and Malcolm Parrish, Du Tonnerre cost € 82,000 to his trainer and joint owner Robert Collet at Arqana August 2018. In October, at Deauville again, his Literato brother was sold for € 10,000. Their brother A Quiet Man (Literato) was placed at 2 in the Prix La Rochette (Gr3), but their dam Priceless Baby (Peintre Célèbre) was a maiden bred by Petra Bloodstock (Chryss O’Reilly). She, however, is a sister to the good Célimène (Dr Fong), a Prix Pénélope (Gr3) winner after finishing 4th in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks, Gr1) won by Stacelita.
SEA WATCH (F3), (IRE) par Siyouni et Zynah (Oasis Dream)
€25,000 Prix de la Croix Vaillant (3yo maiden fillies, 1,900m/9.5f AWT), February 11, Chantilly
Owners: Salabi Racing, Haras des Adelis & Thierry de la Héronnière (Prizemoney + Owner Premiums + Breeders Premiums = € 21,752)
Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard
Breeders: Thierry de la Héronnière, Salabi Racing & Haras des Adelis (Breeder Premiums 13% as sired in France = € 2,502)
Rider: Pierre-Charles Boudot
It was the 5th attempt for Sea Watch (Siyouni), who had only made the frame once before in December at Lyon-La Soie with a 3rd place on AWT. She had run over distances varying from 7.5 to 10.5 furlongs. This time, however, the filly was cleverly steered by Pierre-Charles Boudot, who stuck to the rail after following the leaders. She won easily after that, taking 2 lengths over the beginner Si Senorita (Dabirsim) and the favourite Vivi Bonnebouille (Elusive City), slightly unlucky once again.
Sea Watch was unsold at Arqana August at € 180,000. She's out of Zynah (Oasis Dream), an Epsom maiden 3rd whose dam Vincennes (King’s Best) won a Gr3 for Godolphin in Germany, and a Listed race in France.
KENPLEYA (F3), FRA by Kendargent ex Plebeya (Dubawi)
€25,000 Prix du Rond de la Fille de l’Air (3yo maiden, 1,600m/1m AWT), February 8, Chantilly
Owner : Guy Pariente (Prizemoney + Owner Premiums + Breeders Premiums = € 21,752)
Trainer: Sylvain Dehez
Breeders: Liam Norris, Guy Pariente Holdings & William Huntingdon (Breeder Premiums 13% as sired in France = € 2,502)
Rider: Eddy Hardouin
One of the four beginners in this maiden race over the mile, Kenpleya (Kendargent) won by a head but quite cosily over the favourite Anobar (Anodin) after waiting within the field. Owned by her joint-breeder Guy Pariente, she could have gone for the mile for unraced 3yos on the same card but Maisons-Laffitte Sylvain Dehez preferred a less cosy proposition for this debut. The 3rd-placed Passefontaine (Wootton Bassett), however, had had to be supplemented by her trainer Myriam Bollack-Badel after being taken out of the beginners' race. And even though they were only 10 in here, she had a very troubled trip behind the leaders.
Kenpleya is out of Plebeya (Dubawi), bred by Marquesa de Moratalla. She has been sold €20,000 to bloodstock agent Paul Nataf when Haras de Maulepaire consigned her as a weanling at the Arqana December 2017 sale. Her Myboycharlie brother, bred solely by William Huntingdon and Liam Norris, was sold €15,000 at Osarus last September.
It's an Aga Khan family where one also spots the Prix de Diane 3rd Diyakalanie (Ashkalani) and Dilek (Sendawar), a Prix Jean Prat 3rd who made the news in Hong Kong under the name of Viva Macau ...
A Recorder brother to Kenpleya was born last year.
PORCELAINE (F3), IRE by Kodiac ex Zut Alors (Pivotal)
€ 25,000 Prix du Rond du Manège (Unraced 3yos, 1,600m/1m AWT), February 8, Chantilly
Owner: Cotton House Bloodstock (Prizemoney, no Premiums = € 12,500)
Trainer: Fabrice Chappet
Breeder: Knocktoran Stud (No premiums: Irishbred, not assimilated)
Rider: Stéphane Pasquier
Favourite at the start of this 16 unraced colts, geldings and fillies race, Porcelaine (Kodiac) is indeed a sister to the classic winner Précieuse (Tamayuz). She took the lead early on and won pretty easily, defeating her best rival Princesse Ilia (Charm Spirit), who went alongside Spotlight (Kheleyf) behind the winner, at a good length.
4th-placed Mutrecy (Camelot) and 5th-placed Welcome Moon (Intello), who came from the rearguard, should do well soon.
Précieuse and Porcelaine were bred in Ireland by Anne-Marie & Brandon Hayes' Knocktoran Stud, like their dam Zut Alors (Pivotal) and her dam before her.
The fillies were never sold at the sales, unlike most of their male siblings, even though the last one by Galileo, bred in 2019, was withdrawn at Tattersalls December last year.