By Tom Frary
All the attention was on TDN Rising Star Plumatic here, but it was the G3 Prix la Force runner-up Phelps Win who stepped up to stamp his class on proceedings and temporarily halt the Fabre stable's momentum. Breaking his maiden on his 3-year-old bow over a mile at Saint-Cloud Mar. 19, the bay had split two other Fabre colts in Graphite (Fr) (Shamardal) and Franz Schubert (GB) (Dansili {GB}) when second in the Force over this course and distance Apr. 9. With the Chantilly faithful absorbed in the aura of the Wertheimer homebred and content to lay their money down as a result, they were arguably blinded to Phelps Win's form which should have entitled him to pole position. Settled in second early by Pierre-Charles Boudot, the bay strolled to the front with two furlongs remaining where he began to turn the screw. By the time the furlong pole was passed, Plumatic was soundly beaten and he was eased late by an accepting Maxime Guyon. “He had run a good race last time, but it was good-to-firm then and he was a little bit stiff for a few days after,” trainer Henri-Alex Pantall explained. “I had to slow down his training, so I was worried today but the ground had softened and so it boosted my confidence. He ran up to his best and he has quality, as he had shown in the past. He is not in the [G1] Prix du Jockey Club [at Chantilly June 4], so we will have to see if we supplement him. If not, there are plenty of other opportunities for him.”
With this authoritative success, Phelps Win becomes the third winner and first in black-type company for his dam Take Grace, who was herself the winner of seven races including the Listed Prix Miss Satamixa. Her second dam Guardian Spirit is a half to the G1 Prix de la Salamandre-winning and stakes-producing Oczy Czarnie (Lomond) and the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Glaieul. She descends from Gracious (Ire) (Habitat), who is a half to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Gold River (Fr) (Riverman).
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE GUICHE-G3, €80,000, CHY, 5-7, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 1:55.53, sf.
1–#@PHELPS WIN (FR), 128, c, 3, by Muhtathir (GB)
1st Dam: Take Grace (Fr) (SW-Fr, $167,189), by Take Risks (Fr)
2nd Dam: Grace Royale (Ire), by Marignan
3rd Dam: Guardian Spirit, by Lyphard
O/B-Mme Nadine Chiari (FR); T-Henri-Alex Pantall; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1, €79,150. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Plumatic (GB), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Plumania (GB), by Anabaa. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €16,000.
3–Stunning Spirit (GB), 128, c, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Stunning View, by Dynaformer. O/B-George Strawbridge (GB); T-Freddy Head. €12,000.
Margins: 3HF, 1, 2. Odds: 3.60, 0.70, 2.40.
Also Ran: Phoceen (Fr), Saglawy (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
