By Tom Frary
Patience has long been a particular virtue of Hughie Morrison and Sunday's G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville was testament to his ability to play the waiting game as Castle Down Racing's Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) fully came of age. Sent straight to the front by Christophe Soumillon, the 13-10 favourite whose previous foray to France had resulted in a four-length success in ParisLongchamp's G3 La Coupe June 25 was always content untroubled at the head of affairs on this deep surface. Setting down for his plunge up the straight, the bay was on his own at the end of this 12 1/2-furlong feature as he powered to a 6 1/2-length verdict over last year's runner-up Soft Light (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}), who edged out last year's winner Ziyad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) by 3/4 of a length.
“There were doubts beforehand as to whether he would stay this distance or not, as he had run a moderate race over it in the Derby, and also about the ground but going down to the start he gave me a lot of confidence,” Soumillon commented. “He was very relaxed, so I decided to go on and he handled that very well–it was no effort for him. Turning for home, I had them covered and he quickened very nicely. Hughie Morrison is very good at handling older horses, which boosted my confidence.”
First coming to prominence when beating Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) on good-to-firm in York's G2 Dante S. last May, Telecaster was last of the 13 to run in the Derby and beat only one rival on his only subsequent 3-year-old outing in Sandown's G1 Eclipse S. Returning with an encouraging third behind the subsequent G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the June 7 G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Haydock, he stayed at that 10-furlong trip to gain a perfect confidence-booster in the La Coupe before finishing fourth in the July 25 G2 York S.
Morrison was not ruling out a tilt at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and said, “He was very raw mentally and physically last year and anything after the Dante was always going to a big step. He needed putting away for next year and thanks to the patience of Mark Weinfeld and his sister Helena we were able to do that. He's always been a very exciting horse, but we were concerned that the ground might be too deep for him. Christophe says he can go on any ground, but he's more comfortable with a bit of cut. The Arc has exceptionals horses in it this year and he would have to improve to feature–I'm not saying he can't or won't, but it's exciting to think he can be considered in the same bracket as them.”
Telecaster is out of the stable's talented but free-going Shirocco Star (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), who was runner-up in both the G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks, as well as the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. when it held group 2 status and was also third in the G1 Pretty Polly S. Her 2017 foal is Godolphin's classy 3-year-old Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who recently took the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. having finished runner-up in the G3 Autumn S. and third in the G3 Solario S. last term. The fourth dam Hyabella (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), one of four black-type winners out of the G2 Prix de l'Opera heroine Bella Colora (GB) (Bellypha {Ire}), produced the G3 Rose of Lancaster S. winner Poet (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) who relished testing ground. Bella Colora is kin to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine and excellent producer Colorspin (GB) (High Top {Ire}) and the G1 Champion S. hero Cezanne (GB) (Ajdal) from the immediate dam line of the great matriarch Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}). Also connected to the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up and G3 Tetrarch S.-winning sire France (GB) (Desert Prince {Ire}), the dam has a filly foal by Frankel (GB) to come.
Sunday, Deauville, France
LUCIEN BARRIERE GRAND PRIX DE DEAUVILLE-G2, €140,000, Deauville, 8-30, 3yo/up, 12 1/2fT, 2:48.29, hy.
1–TELECASTER (GB), 130, c, 4, by New Approach (Ire)
1st Dam: Shirocco Star (GB) (MG1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng & GSP-Fr, $485,970), by Shirocco (Ger)
2nd Dam: Spectral Star (GB), by Unfuwain
3rd Dam: Hyperspectra (GB), by Rainbow Quest
(180,000gns RNA Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Castle Down Racing; B-Meon Valley Stud (GB); T-Hugh Morrison; J-Christophe Soumillon. €79,800. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 9-4-1-1, €225,996. *1/2 Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Soft Light (Fr), 130, c, 4, Authorized (Ire)–Light Saber (Fr), by Kendor (Fr). (€40,000 Ylg '17 AROCT). O-Claudio Marzocco; B-SARL Jedburgh Stud & Mme Isabelle Corbani (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €30,800.
3–Ziyad (GB), 130, g, 5, Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)–Arme Ancienne (GB) (SP-Fr), by Sillery. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias. €14,700.
Margins: 6HF, 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.30, 7.80, 2.20.
Also Ran: Red Verdon, Deacon (GB), Subway Dancer (Ire), Styledargent (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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