Dream Ahead's Glass Slippers Dominates the Abbaye

As far as clear-cut winners on the Arc card went, it was the surprise package Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) who won the award as she cut a magisterial figure in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp. With the 9-10 favourite and sprint division deity Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) drastically failing to fire in the testing ground, this speed test turned into a question of who wanted it the most and it was the Shadwell luminary's compatriot who had the hunger. Where she was outpaced in the early stages of her latest and second success from two prior runs in France in the course-and-distance G3 Qatar Prix du Petit Couvert, Bearstone Stud's 3-year-old was in front before the first two furlongs of this test. Enthusiastically making the rest of the running under Tom Eaves, she had a commanding three-length advantage over So Perfect (Scat Daddy) at the line, with El Astronaute (Ire) (Approve {Ire}) denied second by a head. The stud's owner Terry Holdcroft was on hand to lead in the latest British winner of this prize and said, “She obviously loves travelling and hasn't stopped improving since she first came to France. We are breeders, but she will be kept in training next season.”

Since 1979, the Abbaye had gone to Britain on a staggering 30 occasions, with France garnering just four renewals in the 40-year period. Kevin Ryan, who along with Mark Johnston has helped lead the reinvigorating of the training bases in the North of England, had won this with Desert Lord (GB) (Green Desert) in 2006 before fellow Northerner Bryan Smart delivered Tangerine Trees (GB) (Mind Games {GB}) to glory here under Glass Slippers' rider Tom Eaves five years later. In 2014, the Yorkshire-based handler David O'Meara saddled the ex-Bryan Smart project Move In Time (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) to provide a shock in this while last year Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) prevailed for the Co. Durham maestro Michael Dods.

What Glass Slippers lacked in credibility measured against the likes of Battaash, Mabs Cross and Ballydoyle's Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and So Perfect, she more than makes up for in application and a curious desire to race in this country. Following her latest domestic efforts when second in Ayr's Listed Land O'Burns S. over this five-furlong trip June 22 and fourth in the G3 Summer S. over six at York July 12, she has slipped into a new dimension as the winner of Deauville's Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud back over six furlongs Aug. 4 and the Sept. 15 Prix du Petit Couvert which is the time-honoured prep for this.

If Battaash had not shown up, and in a way that was the case with the G1 Nunthorpe S. hero looking flat and tired from an early stage, this renewal was up for grabs and open to an improver. Slightly tardy out of the gates before shadowing the rail-running leader El Astronaute and then breezing by, Glass Slippers began to turn the screw after halfway and it was soon evident that she would have to capitulate not to collect. Instead of waving enough, she kept ploughing onward and in a race where few made up any ground she was in a class of her own. Battaash wound up in 14th, Jim Crowley keen to avoid stressing the 5-year-old.

Holdcroft revealed that it was he who had lofty ambitions beforehand. “I think that the more I asked the trainer to enter her in a group one, the more crazy he thought I was, as up until then she hadn't won a group race,” he said. “We were looking to steal a place, but to win with that much in hand was incredible. The other big surprise was how well she handled the ground, as we always thought she preferred it better. She is a filly that we decided to keep in training, because the mother died and we have had a lot of the line. She is qualified to go to the Breeders' Cup now, but I don't think we will go. Kevin Ryan is a marvellous trainer and we are going to keep her in training for next year and have another go at winning the Abbaye!”

Tom Eaves added, “She is not big, but she has a huge heart. I didn't really have any plan, I just knew she would be able to do it. She was well placed and I just let her bowl along.” Aidan O'Brien was delighted with the effort of the runner-up, who came out of the race with enhanced kudos as the sole contender to make up ground from behind. “So Perfect has ran well against the older horses. She has managed to cope well with the ground,” he said. “She picked up well inside the last furlong and we are very happy with that effort.” John Quinn said of El Astronaute, “We are absolutely thrilled with him there–we always thought he had a run like that in him. We were coming over with a bit of hope, but really we were coming to try our luck. We have learned that the older he is getting, the more he prefers softer ground so all that rain would have helped us a lot.”

Glass Slippers is the last living foal and second black-type winner out of the aforementioned Night Gypsy (GB) (Mind Games {GB}), whose other was Electric Feel (GB) (Firebreak {GB}) who took the Listed Radley S. and was runner-up in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. The ill-fated dam is a full-sister to the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy winner and stakes producer On the Brink (GB) and a half to Eastern Romance (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who also achieved black-type success in France in the Listed Criterium de Vitesse before going on to be runner-up in the G3 Ballyogan S.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-6, 2yo/up, 5fT, :58.04, vsf.
1–GLASS SLIPPERS (GB), 133, f, 3, by Dream Ahead
1st Dam: Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB)
2nd Dam: Ocean Grove (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Leyete Gulf (Ire), by Slip Anchor (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Bearstone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Ryan; J-Tom Eaves. €199,990. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng, 12-4-1-1, €305,319. *1/2 to Electric Feel (GB) (Firebreak {GB}), SW & GSP-Eng; and Aunt Nicola (GB) (Reel Buddy), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–So Perfect, 133, f, 3, Scat Daddy–Hopeoverexperience, by Songandaprayer. ($400,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. €80,010.
3–El Astronaute (Ire), 137, g, 6, Approve (Ire)–Drumcliffe Dancer (Ire), by Footstepsinthesand (GB). (€19,000 Ylg '14 TISEP; £38,000 2yo '15 BBASC2; £95,000 RNA 2yo '15 DONSEP; 58,000gns RNA 2yo '15 TA15). O-Ross Harmon Racing; B-T Jones (IRE); T-John Quinn. €40,005.
Margins: 3, NK, SHD. Odds: 12.80, 27.00, 84.00.
Also Ran: Invincible Army (Ire), Mabs Cross (GB), Gold Vibe (Ire), Finsbury Square (Ire), Sestilio Jet (Fr), Spinning Memories (Ire), Fairyland (Ire), Shades of Blue (Ire), Jolie (Fr), Recon Mission (Ire), Battaash (Ire), Soldier's Call (GB), Ken Colt (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.