QATAR PRIX DE ROYALLIEU - A first Group 1 for British-trained Fairy Glen
Considered something of a “Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe” for fillies and mares, run over 400 metres further than the Arc, the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Group 1) lived up to all expectations.
Producing a superb run down the very outside, British-trained Fairy Glen came through in the closing stages to defeat Sunly, the hot favourite for the race, trained in Chantilly. Ridden by Mickaël Barzalona, Fairy Glen eventually prevailed by a short neck. Irish-trained Amelia Earhart finished third, three-quarters of a length further back.
The five-year-old Fairy Glen is trained by Simon Crisford and his son Ed. She secured the first Group 1 victory of her career. She had twice won at Group 2 level at Meydan (Dubai Racecourse) this winter and came into the race on the back of a second-place finish in the EBF Stallions John Musker Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) at Yarmouth (GB) on September 16. This was her second appearance at ParisLongchamp. Her first had resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Group 1) on May 21.
Fairy Glen was bred by Godolphin, the racing operation of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the current Ruler of Dubai. She races in the colours of his son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.
Le résultat technique
QATAR PRIX DE ROYALLIEU
1st FAIRY GLEN (M. Barzalona)
2nd SUNLY (C. Soumillon)
3rd AMELIA EARHART (R.-L. Moore)
Time: 2’59’’16. Margins: SHORT NECK - 3/4 – 5/4.
Connections’ reactions
Ed Crisford, co-trainer of Fairy Glen (1st), Great Britain
“The race unfolded exactly as Mickaël had predicted. He had said that they would start racing from a long way out and he wanted to take his time with Fairy Glen. He just followed them and then threaded his way through. He knows her really well from Dubai, where he rode her. She is a very brave filly. She will never win by two or three lengths, but she simply does what she needs to do to win. She has raced over 1,600 metres and won in Dubai. She is very versatile. Above all, she is a top-class filly and now a Group 1 winner! She will retire from racing at the end of this year. She is entered at Ascot in the Fillies & Mares. There may also be something here for her. I think we will simply see how she is, speak to her owner and make a plan for her.”
Francis-Henri Graffard, trainer of Sunly (2nd), Chantilly (Oise)
“Sunly finds herself a long way back and very, very wide, and she has to make a big effort. The winner gets a good advantage over us, but our filly rallies well.”
Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Amelia Earhart (3rd), Ireland
“I thought Amelia Earhart ran very well. She really stays the distance very well. She is a big, powerful filly. I’m not sure what she will run in next. There probably isn’t much left for her in the programme, but she definitely stays the distance very well.”