French racing rounds out a busy weekend when the first two Classics of the French season take place at Longchamp on Sunday. Five stakes races are headlined by the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches with both races filled with Australian connections.
The Longchamp card kicks off with the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges at 9.23pm AEST on Sunday evening with the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains the first of the two Classics at 11.50pm AEST.
Easter among Australia connections in Poule d’Essai des Poulains
By Oaklands Stud’s Exosphere, you’d be forgiven if you thought G1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains entry Easter (Fr) was Australian when looking at his page. He is out of Exceed And Excel’s Group 3-placed daughter Excellent Girl (GB), a half-sister to Fastnet Rock’s multiple Australian stakes winner Fastnet Tempest (Ire). That gelding was retired almost exactly a year ago at the end of his Australian career.
Out of a half-sister to the dam of G3 Tibbie S. winner Spirit Bird (NZ) (Savabeel), Street Boss’s (USA) Colosseo (USA) looks for a Group 1 win after two stakes placings. The colt’s dam is a half-sister to Press Leak (USA) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who is in Australia and who saw another relative run in a Grade 3 on Friday’s Pimlico card in the United States. After spending over a decade in New Zealand, Press Leak moved to Australia in 2019 and visited Power (GB) last year. Press Leak is also the dam of stakes-placed First Law (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}).
Exosphere, sire of Easter (Fr) | Standing at Oaklands Stud
Coolmore shuttle stallion and G1 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia (Ire) looks to see if his half-brother St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Ire}) can become another Guineas winner for the family. Last year’s European Champion 2-Year-Old Male is one of two Group 1 winners for Group 3 winner Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}),who is a half-sister to Hong Kong stakes winner Ho Choi (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).
Group 3-placed Summiter (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) has plenty of Group 1 form behind him with his family full of Group 1 and Classic winners. The colt’s grandam is a half-sister to Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who is the dam of Australian Group 1 winner The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). That South African-based stallion is a full brother to dual Classic winner Hermosa (Ire) and dual Group 1 winner Hydrangea (Ire).
Sir Prancealot’s (Ire) stakes-winning Prince Lancelot (GB) is hoping to become his sire’s second Group 1 and first Classic winner. The colt is the first foal out of a half-sister to stakes winner Rainbow Crossing (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who herself has also produced stakes winners and is the grandam of 2019 European Champion Soffia (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}).
Winning the British version of the G1 2000 Guineas two weeks ago, Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) looks to double up on Guineas races in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. By former Darley shuttle sire Dawn Approach (Ire), the colt’s family also includes another shuttle sire in Teofilo (Ire).
Plenty to cheer for in Poule d’Essai des Pouliches
A half-sister to G1 Mackinnon winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Group 3 winner Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) lines up in the G1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches on Sunday for Godolphin. The filly was a €1,625,000 (AU$2,538,270) purchase by her racing owner at Arqana as a yearling and is also a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who is the dam of American Pharoah’s (USA) stakes-placed Nicest (Ire). Magic Wand was retired while preparing for the Spring Carnival in Australia last year and was exported to Japan in December.
French champion Reina Madre (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) won a French Group 3 last out and looks to improve her resume even more in this Classic. The filly is out of a half-sister to former Australian runner and Listed-placed Boogie Shoes (GB) (Bertolini {USA}), who retired after losing to Happy Clapper (Teofilo {Ire}) in 2015. The filly is also a half-sister to Hong Kong runner Lotus Strikes Back (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who retired in 2018.
Starspangledbanner’s Stardevote (Ire) represents her sire in this race as she looks for her first stakes victory after two placings. Her dam is a half-sister to the dam of Kinema (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was imported to Australia as a weanling and made 38 starts, retiring after the 2017 G3 Bart Cummings S.
Represented in both French Classics is Sir Prancealot, whose Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Miss Amulet (Ire) makes her seasonal debut here. The filly hails from the family of one-time New Zealand runner and Singapore Champion Mexican Rose (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), who spent time in New Zealand and Australia during her breeding career with a yearling colt by American Pharoah and a weanling colt by Spirit Of Boom as her final two foals.
Darley’s Territories (Ire) sees his Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Rougir (Fr) as a first-crop representative for the stallion. The filly is out of the stakes-placed Summer Moon (Fr) (Elusive City {USA}) and is a fourth generation stakes performer for her family with each of her first three dams winning or placing at the level.
Belardo’s (Ire) first crop is represented in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches by the Group 3-winning Lullaby Moon (GB). That filly’s dam is a three-quarter sister to stakes-placed Hong Kong runner Sea The Pearls (GB) (Indesatchel {Ire}) with four stakes performers under Lullaby Moon’s second dam.
Prix de Saint-Georges kicks off Classic card
A veteran of the G3 Prix de Saint Georges over 1000 metres, Sestilio Jet (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}) was third in this race last year after winning it by 0.75l in 2019. The 6-year-old entire is out of a half-sister to the G3 Queen’s Cup winner Motivado (GB) (Motivator {GB}), with Sestilio Jet’s dam producing four winners from five to race.
Former Australian runner Signposted (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) sees family member Berneuil (Ire) line up in this spot. The lightly raced Lope De Vega (Ire) 4-year-old won his last start and has only been off the board once in his last five. Stakes placed in Europe, Signposted was imported to Australia from Hong Kong in 2015 and last raced in July 2017.
Charm Sprit daughter runs in Prix Maurice Zilber – Fonds Europeen de l’Elevage
Godolphin sends out Alpen Rose (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Prix Maurice Zilber – Fonds Europeen de l’Elevage as she searches for her first win of the year. Already a stakes winner, Alpen Rose joined a long line of winners at the Group level with her family also including G1 Doncaster H. winner It’s Somewhat (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}).
Windsor Park’s Charm Spirit (Ire) sends out Group 2-placed Like A Charm (Fr) in the race as the filly looks for her first stakes victory. One of two stakes horses for her Dr. Fong (USA) dam, her grandam is a half-sister to former Darren Weir trainee Shamkiyr (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). That 10-year-old gelding last raced in late 2017.
Charm Spirit (Ire) | Standing at Windsor Park
Wootton Bassett's (GB) daughter Speak Of The Devil (Fr) was third in the G1 Poule d’Eassai des Pouliches last year and is coming back this year to try and score her second career stakes win. The filly is a half-sister to multiple Group 3 winner Morando (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and her dam is a half-sister to the dam of Batwan (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}). Batwan is scheduled to run in the G3 Prix de Saint Georges – the race before Speak Of The Devil’s.
Sagamiyra’s (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) family has deep associations with Australia with her grandam a half-sister to Shastye (Ire) (Danehill {USA}). One of the top broodmares in Europe, Shastye has seen two of her runners move to Australia - Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Another half-sister is also the dam of Saghann (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), who was imported to Australia in 2012 and spent the second half of his career here.
Plumatic sister lines up in Prix de la Seine
Urbania (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) looks to become the fourth stakes horse for her Group 1-winning Anabaa (USA) dam Plumania (GB) with an entry in the Prix de la Seine. The filly is a half-sister to Plumatic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was imported to Australia last October and is in training with Lloyd Kennewell. Their dam is also a half-sister to the dam of Australian stakes winner Handsome Thief (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), who was imported to Australia as a yearling and was retired last October after a 24-start race career.
Handsome Thief (Ire)
Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo looks to register a new stakes winner on Sunday when Saboor (GB) runs in the Prix de la Seine. The 3-year-old filly is a granddaughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Indian Ink (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and is looking to get her second career victory after winning on debut in January.
Sun Bloodstock sends out their Gleneagles (Ire) filly Loire (Fr) in this spot as she searches for her first stakes victory. The filly is a half-sister to multiple Hong Kong Group winner Rise High (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). She is also a granddaughter of Grade 1 winner Volga (Ire) (Caerleon {USA}) with that one’s half-brother Vallee Enchantee (Ire) (Peintre Celebre {USA}) also winning a Hong Kong Group 1.
