By Sean Cronin
Senga (Blame), a debut runner-up going 7 1/2 furlongs in a Deauville newcomers' heat Aug. 9, impressed when graduating at Saint-Cloud one month later, but endured a troubled trip when a never-nearer fourth in the Oct. 2 G1 Prix Marcel Boussac in her latest start and made a winning return over the same one-mile strip at Chantilly for Sunday's G3 Prix de la Grotte. Reined back to track a steady pace in fourth after the initial exchanges, the even-money favourite was shaken up soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and pushed out for a career high once quickening into a slender advantage with 150 metres remaining. She stopped the clock one length ahead of 31-1 outsider La Sardane (Fr) (Kingsalsa), with a further half length back to Lady Frankel (GB) (Frankel {GB}), and added to trainer Pascal Bary's sole success in the contest, which came courtesy of the brilliant Divine Proportions (Kingmambo) in 2005. “She was a bit nervous beforehand, maybe because she was fresh, but they tend to be a little like that in the family,” explained Bary. “She relaxed well during the race, she had the perfect trip and quickened well to show her class. It was not too hard a race and the perfect re-introduction this year. She is entered in both French and English [1000] Guineas, but we have not yet decided which one she will go for. We'll see how she comes out of this race and how she does in her work over the next two weeks before committing to one or the other.”
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE LA GROTTE ETALON KENDARGENT-G3, €80,000, CHY, 4-16, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:40.30, gd.
1–#@SENGA, 126, f, 3, by Blame
1st Dam: Beta Leo, by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Denebola, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Coup de Genie, by Mr. Prospector
O-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd; B-Flaxman Holdings Ltd (KY); T-Pascal Bary; J-Stephane Pasquier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, €82,810. *1/2 to Bolting (War Front), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]2–La Sardane (Fr), 126, f, 3, Kingsalsa–Foresta (Fr), by Forestier (Fr). O-Jean Guillemin; B-SCEA Plessis & Jean Guillemin (Fr); T-Bruno de Montzey. €16,000.
3–Lady Frankel (GB), 126, f, 3, Frankel (GB)#tot">Frankel (GB)–Lady Vettori (GB), by Vettori (Ire). O-Gestut Ammerland; B-Ammerland Verwaltung GmbH & Co KG (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: 1, HF, SNK. Odds: 1.00, 30.90, 2.90.
Also Ran: Toulifaut (Ire), Body Sculpt (Fr), Beauty of Love (GB).
Senga is out of Beta Leo (A.P. Indy), a winning daughter of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac-winning highweight Denebola (Storm Cat), and she is thus a half to Listed Prix du Pont Neuf victor Bolting (War Front). Beta Leo has produced a colt foal by Karakontie (Jpn) this term. Denebola, a daughter of storied MG1SW highweight Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector), is a half-sister to MGSW Snake Mountain (A.P. Indy), GSW G1 Prix Morny third Loving Kindness (Seattle Slew), MSW Glia (A.P. Indy)–herself the granddam of MGISW Emollient (Empire Maker)–and to the unraced Moonight's Box (Nureyev), who in turn produced four stakes performers including G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning sire and MG1SW champion Bago (Fr) (Nashwan), MG1SW sire Maxios (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) and Listed Criterium de Vitesse victress Beta (GB) (Selkirk). Coup de Genie is a daughter of blue hen Coup de Folie (Halo) and is thus kin to Machiavellian (Mr. Prospector), Exit To Nowhere (Irish River {Fr}), et al. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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