24 October 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, 24 October 2020, Saint-Cloud. - Unlucky throughout this year, the 2019 Diane Longines (Gr1) third Grand Glory (Olympic Glory) finally got to win her Group race in the Flore (Gr3) with a very efficient ride from in-form Pierre-Charles Boudot. Trained at Maisons-Laffitte by Gianluca Bietolini, she first galloped at the rear in this weight-for-age female race over 10.5 furlongs. Her rider shifted her towards the rail as the field had gone wide in the last bend to come up to the front-running Amarena (Soldier Hollow), then she repelled a resolute Solsticia (Le Havre), who came nicely but couldn't keep up with the winner, who won by a neck but quite cosily.
Grand Glory cost € 18,000 at the Arqana yearling sales and her Toronado brother, unsold et €16,000 at the 2018 October sales in Deauville, has since won for his debut. Their dam Madonna Lily (Daylami) didn’t win but she is a sister to Minakshi (Footstepsinthesand), a Group 2 winner in Canada. Their brother Marble Garden (Royal Academy) won at Listed level at Auteuil.
Belle de Nuit Report: Believe in Love wins 5th race in '20
The fifth group race of this rich day at Saint-Cloud, the Prix Belle de Nuit (Gr3), for females aged 3 and up over 1m6f, went to the English favourite Believe in Love (Make Believe), who made her move going off the bend after having travelled in the rear. Trained by Roger Varian, she easily left the leader Pontille (Whipper) at 3/4 length while Palomba (Lope de Vega) finishes third, almost two lengths down.
The winner was winning her fifth race of the year in six outings, her first at this level after finishing third behind Pista in the Park Hill Fillies Stakes (Gr2) at Doncaster. Out of the French mare Topka (Kahyasi), also the dam of the sire Top Trip (Dubai Destination), she was bought for £ 55,000 at the Newmarket sales.