Malleret : In between Oaks
Photo Prix de Malleret 2018 won by Waldlied : scoopdyga.com
The Prix de Malleret (Gr2) is a 3-year-old fillies race held Sunday in Saint-Cloud over 1m4f, the same distance than those of the Epsom and Irish Oaks, 300 yards longer than the French version, the Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1).
Very good broodmares have won the "Malleret", as Lune d'Or, the dam of one of the Japanese candidates for the 2019 Arc, Fièrement. Royal Highness won this event before giving the sire Free Port Lux. Légèreté, the dam of the good Pilote, also features amongst the past winners, and so is the dam of the good Mot Juste, Time On.
The race has sometimes served as a consolatory after the Oaks, or as a stepping stone to the Irish version, scheduled for this year on July 20th.
They are seven to run on Sunday at Saint-Cloud and the favourite comes from England: Mehdaayh (Frankel) finished an unfortunate seventh in the Epsom Oaks (Gr1), where she was at 3/1, after winning the Cheshire Oaks (L) at Chester.
Entered in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr1), she is trained by John Gosden, and her rating is 106lb.
Villa d'Amore (Mastercraftsman) and Merimbula (Dalakhani) are both rated at 102lb. The former was only beaten by Étoile, fourth in the "Diane", the latter was recently fifth in the Saxon Warrior Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1).
Edisa (Kitten's Joy) is interesting. This Aga Khan homebred trained by Alain de Royer Dupré won twice already over shorter distances, just beating her stablemate Golden Box, who was entered here.
Moonoon (Sea the Moon) has a very similar profile. Sakura Zensen (Planteur) aims higher than ever before after seeing her rating risen 18lb after two handicap wins. High Ball (Doctor Dino) has just won very easily in Lyon after having been steadily outperformed at this level.