Despite the impressive manner of his win in the Listed Prix Ridgway at Compiegne on his last start June 13, Mont Ormel was seen by many as being in over his head against representatives of the major stables here but he proved them all wrong with a clear-cut success in this Bastille Day highlight. Third on his 3-year-old bow in the Listed Prix Omnium II over a mile Mar. 20, the bay dropped to sixth in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau over that trip at Chantilly a month later before filling third spot again in a 10-furlong conditions event at Deauville May 15. Scoring by 6 1/2 lengths in the Ridgway on heavy ground over that distance, he looked as if this mile and a half would be ideal and Cristian Demuro was happy to send him up to stalk the leading duo with stamina not an issue in his mind. Surging through on the inner of the long-time leader Beacon Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at the top of the straight, he gained the lead passing the quarter pole and instantly kicked into a decisive advantage. Only Red Verdon gave serious chase, but Mont Ormel was always comfortably holding that rival to secure trainer Pia Brandt a first group 1 and her owner Gerard Augustin-Normand yet another at this level. “We missed a first group 1 by very little [with Camprock (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire})] in the Saint-Alary, so imagine how happy I am,” his trainer said. “In racing, one day you are on top and one day on bottom and that's where we were after the Diane when that filly got hurt, so this is sweet. I want to thank the owner for giving me all the time I needed to prepare him for this and it is a nice conclusion. We are not thinking about a race at this stage, so we'll see how he does but he is not entered in the Arc at this stage anyway.” Red Verdon's trainer Ed Dunlop commented, “The horse ran great and is improving with every race. He hasn't won a group 1 yet, but will one day for sure and we'll put him away now and train him for the [G1] St Leger [at Doncaster Sept. 10].” Mont Ormel, who becomes the first group 1 winner for his Haras de la Cauviniere-based sire, is out of a half-sister to Rupert Plersch's flagbearer Linngari (Ire), the multiple highweight and G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua and G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis-winning sire. Also from the family of the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup runner-up Livadiya (Ire) (Shernazar {Ire}), Lidana also has a 2-year-old filly by Le Havre (Ire) named Normandel (Fr) and a yearling filly by Rajsaman (Fr) named Hocquigny (Fr).
Thursday, Saint-Cloud, France
JUDDMONTE GRAND PRIX DE PARIS-G1, €600,000, SCD, 7-14, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:29.56, g/s.
1–@&MONT ORMEL (FR), 128, c, 3, by Air Chief Marshal (Ire)
1st Dam: Lidana (Ire), by King's Best
2nd Dam: Lidakiya (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire)
3rd Dam: Lilissa (Ire), by Doyoun (Ire)
O-Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Franklin Finance SA (FR); T-Pia Brandt; J-Cristian Demuro. €342,840. Lifetime Record: 7-3-0-3, €399,940. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Red Verdon, 128, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Porto Marmay (Ire), by Choisir (Aus). ($85,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; 90,000gns 2yo '15 TATBRE). O-The Hon R J Arculli; B-Liberty Road Stables (KY); T-Ed Dunlop. €137,160.[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]3–Cloth of Stars (Ire), 128, c, 3, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Strawberry Fledge, by Kingmambo. (400,000gns Ylg '14 TAOCT). O-Godolphin SNC; B-Peter Anastasiou (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €68,580.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 17.90, 6.00, 3.60.
Also Ran: Mekhtaal (GB), Talismanic (GB), Maniaco (GB), Spring Master (GB), Beacon Rock (Ire). Scratched: Shogun (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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