Maiden winners weekly (June 19-25)

COLD STARE (G2), IRE by Intense Focus ex Ziria (Danehill Dancer)
Prix Duplex (Unraced 2yo colts and geldings, 1,400m Turf), June 21, Maisons-Laffitte

Owner : Melissa O’Neill et Susan Davis
Trainer : Eoghan O’Neill
Breeder : Dubois Holdings Ltd
Rider : Fabrice Véron

With leader and favorite Monargent (Kendargent), who did not seem to enjoy the left hand turn, Cold Stare took over soon after the bend and was necer going to leave Masterpiece (Mastercraftsman) threaten him as Monargent simply stayed on for third in front of a fast finishing Korevsky (Intello).

Cold Stare is the 8th foal out of excellent sprinter Ziria, winner of the Prix du Petit-Couvert (Gr3) over 5f for owner Leonidas Marinopoulos and trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias before entering stud the following Winter. She then gace the good Athenian (Acclamation), who won for the 6th and last time in a Listed event at Baden-Baden at 4 for trainer sir Mark Prescott, and then Fadhayyil (Tamayuz), sold as a yearling for 220,000 Guineas to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum at Tattersalls in 2013. He went on to finish 5th in the Two Thousand Guineas (Gr1) and 2nd to Dutch Connection in the Jersey Stakes (Gr3). Ziria is also the dam of Zipzip (Whipper), a 7-times winner for trainer Eoghan O’Neil, including a series of 4 consecutive wins in the Summer of 2015, bowing out on a Listed success at Longchamp over 10f, before he was sold to Godolphin at Arqana's Arc Sale in 2015 for €190,000.

Ziria herself had been sold 90,000 Guineas in 2005 at Tattersalls, Newmarket.

SILENT WAR (F2), USA by War Front ex Lady of Shamrock (Scat Daddy)
Prix Mary Tudor (Unraced 2yo Fillies, 1,400m Turf), June 21, Maisons-Laffitte

Owner : Wertheimer & Frère
Trainer : Freddy Head
Breeder : Wertheimer & Frère
Rider : Maxime Guyon

A pretty clear win for favorite Silent War and in a time almost 3 seconds better than that of the boys in the Prix Duplex (read above). She loomed before the turn to join front running One Last Night (Elusive Quality), which she disposed of quite easily in the last furlong and went on to pass the post on the bridle, a good length ahead of Environs (Dansili), always there, and Lake Side (Harbor Watch), who had followed the leading pair by the rail.

Silent War's dam, US-bred Lady of Shamrock, is a daughter of the late Scat Daddy whom the Wertheimers bought at Keeneland in 2013 for two million dollars, as a broodmare prospect. She had been bought as a weanling on the same ring for only $35,000 - at that time her second dam had given a Gr1 winner in California and a Grand Prix de Rouen winner, and Scat Daddy was not as fashionable as of late. Lady of Shamrock regardless won both the American Oaks (Gr1) and the Del Mar Oaks (Gr1) and amassed nearly a million dollars in earnings, which of course changed most prospective buyers' perspective on her merits.

Silent War is her first foal. She has since given Celtic (Speightstown), bred in Ireland in 2016, and more recently a colt by Invincible Spirit, also bred in Ireland.

BLUE TANGO (M2), GER par Zebedee et Beatify (Big Bad Bob)
Prix Pensbury (Maiden 2yo colts and geldings, 1,100m turf), June 23, Chantilly

Owner : MM Racing
Trainer : Marcus Münch
Breeder : Friedh Sommer
Rider : Alexis Badel

Blue Tango was well beaten for his debut, and second in a claimer at the Croisé-Laroche, near Lille in the North of France. Ten days later, however, he won this maiden by a length and a half beating We Ride The World (Orpen), who had trailed him from the start, while eventual 4th Amiral Chop (Deportivo) had led the dance in front of 3rd placed Daimyo (Holy Roman Emperor).

Bred in Germany, Blue Tango is owned by the former international German defender Marcus Münch, now based in Chantilly, and also owner-trainer of the good Spectre, recently 4th in the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr1) at Royal Ascot.

Blue Tango is the first foal out of a placd mare who's also a full sister to double Irish Listed winner Bible Black. He was sold €10,000 at the Baden-Baden yearling sale.

MOONS OF JUPITER (F2), USA by War Front ex Daisy Devine (Kafwain)
Prix Caravelle (Maiden 2yo Fillies, 1,100m turf), June 23, Chantilly

Owner : Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Flaxman Holdings Ltd
Rider : Stéphane Pasquier

Moons of Jupiter was wisely ridden by Stéphane Pasquier, who quickly placed her close to the lead and made a decisive move early enough to keep away late closers such as second-placed Qatar Sunshine (Kendargent), who zeroed on him near the finish line but just failed.

It was Moons of Jupiter's second trial after a fifth place behind Hergame (Motivator) in a beginners' race, the Prix de la Reine Blanche, also ran on Chantilly's turf. Winn er of a Class 2 race since then, Over Reacted had finished second that day.

Moons of Jupiter's dam, Daisy Devine, was bought $1.3m at Keeneland as a broodmare prospect after a brilliant racing career which led her to win a Group 2 Stateside. She hasn't got any other foal registered on our database.

ESQUISSE (F3), (GB) by Dansili ex Légèreté (Rahy)
Prix de la Chasse à Courre (Maiden, 3yo Fillies, 1,600m Fibersand), June 23, Chantilly

Owner : Wertheimer & Frère
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Wertheimer & Frère
Rider : Maxime Guyon

A successful week for the Wertheimer family with another victory by Esquisse for her  third outing. She only ran at Chantilly, but this was her first attempt below 1,900 meters. On this occasion, she beats Spindrift (Hard Spun), who had just failed by a short head behind well-bred Baltic Duchess (Lope de Vega).

Trained by André Fabre, who filled the exacta, she looked ver resolved to overtake Spindrift and leave her at one length.

Esquisse is a out of the good Légèreté, who won over 2,400 meters in the Prix de Royaumont (Gr3) and the Prix de Malleret (Gr2) before giving folaing Pilote (Montjeu), Listed winner and three times second in Group 2 or 3 over 1.800 to 2.000 meters.

She was initially entered in The Gurkha Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary and in the Prix de Diane Longines.

BUTHELA (C3), FRA by Acclamation ex Tribune (Grand Slam)
Prix de Saint-Hubert (Maiden, 3yo colts & geldings, 1,600m Fibresand), June 23, Chantilly

Owner : Al Shaqab Racing
Trainer : André Fabre
Breeder : Écurie des Monceaux
Rider : Mickaël Barzalona

André Fabre had found an easy looking maiden race -5 runners over Chantilly's sand track- to enter unraced Buthela against more experienced opponents. His rider Mickaël Barzalona however threw the gantlet first and left the field without reaction when his ride took off. By the time the Aga Khan's Sajjad (Siyouni) made his move, it was all over and even though he finished like a train, a neck was still missing for him to win for the first time.

Buthela cost € 240,000 at the 2015 Arqana yearlings sales. His first and second dams belong to the Haras des Monceaux, who consigned him at Deauville. It is a family that goes back to Tananarive, Buthela's 4th dam and also the 2nd dam of Mrs Penny, who won the Prix de Diane and the Prix Vermeille in 1980 for trainer Ian Balding, and Cadeaux d'Amie, who gave the great Hatoof, a Criquette Head-trained winner of the One Thousand Guineas (Gr1) and the Champion Stakes (Gr1) at the Rowley Mile ...