By Sean Cronin
Fabrice Chappet trainee and 185,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling and $535,000 Ocala April breeze-up graduate Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Onshore {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a dominant performance going one mile at Chantilly in September, but had floundered in two subsequent outings before lining up as a 12-1 chance for Sunday's G2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud. Second contesting an Oct. 21 Deauville conditions heat in his only other juvenile start, he opened his sophomore campaign with a close-up eighth in ParisLongchamp's Apr. 18 G3 Prix de Fontainebleau last time and was tackling a distance beyond a mile for the first time here. Onesto employed patient tactics and trailed all five rivals through halfway and into the straight. Making headway inside the final 500 metres, he powered into contention approaching the eighth pole and produced an electrifying turn of foot in the latter stages to surge clear for a career high. At the line, he had 2 1/2 lengths to spare from Juddmonte's hitherto undefeated 3-year-old filly and 4-5 favourite Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with Sir Bob Parker (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) a neck adrift in third.
“He showed his true form today, after a moderate run on his [seasonal] return, but on that occasion he needed the race and more importantly the one-mile trip was too short,” explained trainer Fabrice Chappet. “He still ran a decent race [last time] and, for the first time, he was on his real distance here. He had been brilliant on debut and was quite immature so it is not a surprise to see him improve. This race will have done him a lot of good with a view to his next run in the [June 5] G1 Prix du Jockey Club [at Chantilly].”
Winning rider Stephane Pasquier added, “I just love this little horse, he has perfect balance and a devastating kick. He didn't really appreciate the all-weather surface in his second run at two and he was not fit on his seasonal return and needed further. I really fancy him in the French Derby.”
Onesto is the second of four foals and lone scorer produced by an unraced sibling of G3 Easter Cup victor Jet Away (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). The February-foaled chestnut is half to a 2-year-old filly by Australia (GB) and a yearling filly by Gleneagles (Ire). His dam Onshore (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was covered by American Pharoah last year, was acquired by Diamond Creek Farm for 320,000gns as Tattersalls' 2016 December Mares sale. She is a daughter of Kalima (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}), herself an unraced full-sister to Juddmonte's Listed Prix des Sablonnets-winning blue hen Hasili (Ire).
Sunday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX GREFFULHE-G2, €130,000, Saint-Cloud, 5-8, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:11.43, g/s.
1–ONESTO (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Onshore (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Kalima (GB), by Kahyasi (Ire)
3rd Dam: Kerali (GB), by High Line (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (185,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT; $535,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,500. O-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, Jean-Etienne Dubois, Ecurie Hunter Valley, Haras d'Etreham, Ecurie Billon, Ecurie Elag, Fabrice Chappet & Hubert Guy; B-Diamond Creek Farm LLC (IRE); T-Fabrice Chappet; J-Stephane Pasquier. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, €94,060. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Agave (GB), 125, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Contribution (GB), by Champs Elysees (GB). O-Suc. Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €28,600.
3–Sir Bob Parker (Fr), 128, c, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Pacifique (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€210,000 Ylg '20 ARQOCT). Lifetime O-Michael Watt; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Ecurie Skymarc Farm (FR); T-David Menuisier. €13,650.
Margins: 2HF, NK, 2. Odds: 12.40, 0.80, 6.10.
Also Ran: Haya Zark (Fr), Mirabad (Fr), Maximus (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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