Fabre and Guyon take Chantilly by storm
Great pre Royal Ascot warm up acts for Moore and Hughes
By Tom Krish in Chicago
It was the 19 year-old Mickael Barzalona who won thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious prize just over a week ago. Pour Moi, from Andre Fabre’s yard, went from last to first in the Epsom Derby. That was trainer Fabre’s first win in the English Derby. The perennial champion in the French training department, Fabre took his avocation to unprecedented heights at Chantilly on Sunday.
Maxime Guyon was the jockey in the limelight on Sunday as Chantilly hosted the 2100-metre Prix Diane, the French Oaks. Olivier Peslier had a contractual obligation to ride Galikova. Golden Lilac, winner of the French 1000 Guineas, was ridden by Maxime Guyon. Golden Lilac, a Galileo filly and a 13/5 chance, saved ground, shook free to strike the front in the lane and beat back Galikova’s bid. Zarkava had completed this double and went on to win the Arc in October 2008 in an unbeaten seven-race career. Golden Lilac’s Oaks win prompted the British bookmakers to give a 10/1 quote for the Fabre-trained filly to land the Arc de Triomphe.
In the Oaks undercard, there were three Group III races. They were all won by the Fabre-Guyon combine. The Oaks was the third race in the Sunday card. The fourth was the Paul de Moussac and it went to Mutual Trust who was the 11/5 favorite. The fifth, the Prix du Lyc was won by Kreem, a 63/10 chance. The sixth was the Du Chermin de Fer Du Nord and was taken by Byword, the 9/10 public choice.
Golden Lilac raced in the colors of Gestut Ammerland whose Lope De Vega won the French Derby last year. Barzalona’s Derby win and Guyon’s Chantilly exploits tell us that these young riders are now players in the world stage.
Incidentally, Stephen Pasquier won a race on Derby day. He connected with the 27/10 Air Shot in a 2000-metre claiming race.
Let us move our focus to England. Ryan Moore is odds on to be the leading rider at Royal Ascot. If Moore needed a warm up ritual, he got one and some more over an extremely productive weekend. At York on Saturday, Ryan won the second race with the 8/1 Confront, a Michael Stoute runner. In the fourth, he scored with another Stoute trainee, Sea Moon, the 4/6 favorite. Another 4/6 chalk, Swiss Spirit, trained by David Elsworth, won the fifth for Moore. It was now Richard Hannon’s turn to give jockey Moore a winner. In the sixth, My Son Max, a 4/1 chance, gave Moore his fourth win. The seventh race came along and Moore completed a five-timer with Entitled (9/2) for Sir Michael Stoute.
Now we come to Sunday and the scene is Salisbury. Jockey Moore rodes two winners. Sohraab and Bonnie Brae, both favorites, win with Moore. Seven wins in two days and a Monday twilight card at Windsor to follow make Ryan an attractive choice in the race for leading jockey at Royal Ascot.
Richard Hughes was not sitting on the bench. He was at work on Saturday at Sandown. Sandown is close to Wimbledon. It is a delightful right handed course. Hughes won with the Hannon-trained Sinfonico, a 12/1 outsider. He won a second with Arch Fire (8/1) for Sir Stoute.
Hughes was at Salisbury on Sunday. He won with Elnawin at 9/2 and got a double with Harbour Watch at 11/4. He checks in at Royal Ascot fit and sharp.
Olivier Peslier is on duty at Longchamp on Monday before flying out to London for Tuesday’s Goldikova ride in the Queen Anne.
Black Magic Woman did not get the job done in Bangalore’s big race on Sunday. At Roscommon in Ireland, a flat-jumps meeting was held on Sunday. Who won? Black Witch Woman, trained by T Hogan, won with Seamie Heffernan as a 12/1 chance.
In Monday’s action, Carlisle races in England. Sedgefield has a jumps card. Warwick has a flat race card. Windsor has seven races starting at 6 PM and ending at 9 PM. I used to be at Windsor on the eve of Royal Ascot. The train trip, the boat ride and a touch of champagne made Windsor a ‘must go’ to course. I loved it. Roscommon has three flat races and four jumps.
Royal Ascot opens today. Thirsk, in northern England, has eight races from 1 45 PM until 5 50 PM. Brighton has six races from 6 PM until 8 30 PM. Newton Abbot offers a jumps card with six races. The program starts at 6 15 PM and ends at 8 15 PM.
