The October 2024 Maiden Winners

SAFIA (f2), FRA by Sottsass ex Stay Home (Le Havre)

Prix de la Chapelle (Unraced 2-year-old Fillies, 1,800m/9f), October 20, 2024, ParisLongchamp

Owners: Riviera Equine, Haras d’Étreham, Craig Berninck

Trainer: Fabrice Chappet

Breeder: Riviera Equine, Haras d’Étreham, Glen Hill Farm

Rider: Cristian Demuro

Despite a tricky passage racing wide in a stop-start affair, Safia (Sottsass) completely dominated her rivals on heavy ground. Fornali (Zarak), who broke smartly and then allowed Faithful Friend (Ghaiyyath) to set the pace, finished best of the rest, weaving through on the inside to finish four lengths behind the winner and 2½ lengths clear of the favourite Ashikidah (Belardo), who was very green in this race. Faithful Friend held off the other challengers to take fourth.

Safia was withdrawn from the Arqana sales last October. Her brother by Zarak fetched €230,000 in August when Chauvigny Global Equine purchased him. A Night Of Thunder filly was born this year. This is a remarkable family, as the fourth dam is the American champion Serena's Song, and the third is the Coronation Stakes (Gr1) winner Sophisticat, who produced Sefroua (Kingmambo), the second dam. Sefroua won the Prix de Lieurey (L) and is the dam of Group 3 winner Suphala (Frankel), whose sister Stay Home (Le Havre) is the dam of Safia, a winner on her debut despite the circumstances.

AZIMPOUR (c2), IRE by Dubawi ex Azmiiyna (Galileo)

Prix de Belleville (Unraced 2-years-old Colts and geldings, 1,800m/9f), October 20, 2024, ParisLongchamp

Owner: S.A. Aga Khan

Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard

Breeder: S.A. Aga Khan

Rider: Mickaël Barzalona

A non-runner at Saint-Cloud ten days earlier due to the ground and sent off favourite in this €50,000 maiden, Azimpour (Dubawi) got the job done, but the finish was tight. Among the last to challenge in a race led by Le Roi Leon (Mr Owen) and Batal Youmzain (Hello Youmzain), Azimpour eventually pulled clear to win by three-quarters of a length. The runner-up showed plenty of guts, holding on for second by a head from Zarakchic (Zarak), who raced wide, and Le Roi Leon.

Azimpour is the third foal out of Azmiyna (Galileo), an unraced mare whose dam is a sister to champion Azamour. She has already produced a champion in Australia, The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice), winner of five Group 1s at 2 and 3 and now a stallion.

Azmiyna was barren to Wootton Bassett last year and has returned to him this season.

PARISIENNE BLEUE (f3), FRA by Zarak ex Sulfureuse (Saint des Saints)

Prix Beaurepaire (3-year-olds unraced over jumps, Hurdle race, 3,600m/2m2f), October 19, 2024, Auteuil

Owner: Mrs Patrick Papot

Trainer: Jérémy da Silva

Breeder: Écurie Madame Patrick Papot

Rider: Bertrand Lestrade

After settling off the pace in a strongly-run race with several lead changes, Parisienne Bleue made smooth headway and took command after the second-to-last hurdle. She had jumped that flight alongside the ambitious Tarfaya (Saint des Saints) and the favourite Lemon Sweet (Muhtathir), a recent winner of an AQPS flat race at Durtal. Still, she extended her advantage after that to win by nine lengths from Lemon Sweet. Another eight lengths back in third was the promising debutante Raffles Rampoldi (Great Pretender), who caught Tarfaya on the flat.

Bred and owned by Ecurie Madame Papot, Parisienne Bleue had been entered in the Prix Wild Monarch in the spring. Her dam, Sulfureuse (Saint des Saints), had a long career in the colours of Ecurie Centrale and then Xavier Kepa. Fourth in the Prix Maurice Gillois (Gr1) won by So French, then second in the Prix Sytaj (Gr3), she often distinguished herself at the highest level at Auteuil before exiting the scene after two refusals to start, including one in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, and a fall in between.

On July 6, 2017, the FBA agency purchased her for €100,000. She has produced five foals since, of which Parisienne Bleue is the third. Before her, her brothers Premier Bleu (Kapgarde) and Parika Vert (Alianthus) won over jumps. However, they are no longer in training today. Nor are their 2-year-old sister by Dschingis Secret or the colt born this year by the speedy City Light.

ASHNAK (g2), (FR) by Sea the Moon ex Ashtara (Gio Ponti)

Prix du Jeu de l'Oie (Maiden 2yo colts and geldings, 1,800m/9f), Saturday, September 12, 2024, Chantilly

Owner: S. A. Aga Khan

Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard

Breeder: S. A. Aga Khan

Rider: Mickaël Barzalona

Held up in mid-division along the rail, Ashnak (Sea The Moon) made steady headway to lead inside the final furlong and win, going away by a length and a half. The favourite Bellagio (Siyouni) made the running and looked the likely winner entering the straight, but he could not withstand the winner’s late surge. Arabian Fever (Showcasing) finished well to take third, a length and a half ahead of Bellagio. Best Secret (Persian King) found his stride too late and only snatched fourth place from pacesetting stablemate Mellow Yellow (Hello Youmzain).

Ashnak is out of a Listed winner, and his third dam is a sister to champion miler Ashkalani. Ashnak’s brother by Zarak is in training with Francis-Henri Graffard.

TAJLINA (f2), (GB) by Kingman ex Bateel (Dubawi)

Prix du Temple de Vénus (Maiden two-year-old Fillies, 1,800m/9f), October 12, 2024, Chantilly

Owner: Al Asayl France

Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard

Breeder: Al Asayl France

Rider: Mickaël Barzalona

An odds-on favourite after a promising debut three weeks ago, when she finished 2nd to Blue Island over the mile, Tajlina (Kingman) completely crushed this maiden. She led from the start before taking off to win by seven lengths over German raider Green Gate (Saxon Warrior), by far the most experienced of the lot. Tajlina was bred by Al Asayl France. She is the 3rd foal out of Bateel (Dubawi), winner of the Prix Vermeille (Gr1) who has already produced the excellent Map of Stars (Sea the Stars), winner of the Prix Pelleas (L), 3rd recently in the Prix du Prince d'Orange (Gr3), for his debut in the colours of Wathnan Racing, and entered in the Prix du Conseil de Paris (Gr2). Tajlina has a younger brother by Frankel, named The Odyssey, who was also declared in training with Francis-Henri Graffard. This family traces back to Arosa (Silver Shark), the Prix Messidor (Gr3) winner in July 1972 at Saint-Cloud in the colours of Countess Batthyany, in training with Angel Penna.

LIVE CONTI (g3), FRA by Cokoriko ex Valdivia (Samum)

Prix Pride of Kildare (3-year-olds unraced over jumps, Hurdle race, 3,600m/2m2f), October 2, 2024, Auteuil

Owner: Écurie Patrick Joubert

Trainers: Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm

Breeder: EARL Patrick Joubert

Rider: James Reveley

The favourite, Larzac (No Risk At All), seemed to have the race in hand throughout the final stages and until the last hurdle, which he jumped leaning but without losing the lead over Live Conti (Cokoriko). In the run-in, however, Live Conti found the energy to go and get his rival on the line, winning by a short head. Crown du Berlais (Saint des Saints) was always prominent in the leading group, finishing in 3rd place, almost five lengths behind in a field of 18 runners.

Live Conti is the 5th foal out of Valdivia (Samum), a mare bred by the Wildenstein family. His 3rd dam is none other than Vallée Enchantée (Peintre Célèbre), winner of the Hong Kong Vase (Gr1) in Hong Kong in the Wildenstein silks, herself out of Verveine (Lear Fan). The mare was sold to PB Bloodstock as a maiden out-of-training filly for €7,000.

After Live Conti, Valdivia produced a colt by Prince Gibraltar, another by Waldpark, and this year, a full brother to Live Conti.

INDALIMOS (f2), FRA by Cloth of Stars ex Lucy the Painter (Excellent Art)

Prix des Terroirs de France (Maiden 2-year-olds, 1,900m/9.5f AWT), October 1st, 2024, Chantilly

Owner: Yves Burrus

Trainer: André Fabre

Breeder: John Plowden Carrington

Rider: Malone Favriaux

Easy win for the debutante Indalimos (Cloth of Stars), who came to settle matters in the last furlong over one of the leaders, Zia Agnese (Romanised), out for the 4th time already. The representative of Yves Burrus won by half a length while Star of Light (City Light), always well placed behind the frontline, stayed on in 3rd, more than five lengths further back.

Indalimos is out of Lucy the Painter (Excellent Art), a mare who raced 36 times in four seasons in Britain and ended her career with a 2nd place in a Listed and a 4th in a Gr3 won, more than eleven lengths ahead of her, by the excellent Bateel over 1m4f. At 3, she also took 3rd place in a Gr3 over one mile. As for Indalimos, she was purchased by Eric Libaud for €12,000 as a yearling in February at Deauville, where she went back in October to be sold for €47,000 to Broadhurst Agency under the name Decorated Heaven.