By Tom Frary
Deauville's six-furlong Prix de Lisieux for unraced 2-year-olds can throw up a smart filly and Sunday's edition looked full of promise as Yeguada Centurion's Epson Blue Cen (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}–Epsom Icon {GB}, by Sixties Icon {GB}) mastered her peers. Sent off at 10-1, the homebred daughter of the G3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner travelled strongly on the wing behind the leaders before being unleashed by Christophe Soumillon to take control 300 metres out. Staying on strongly as the eye-catching Wertheimer homebred Iron Bird (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) produced a rattle having played catch-up after an awkward break, the Maurizio Guarnieri trainee hit the line 1 1/4 lengths to the good.
Looks classy! Epson Blue Cen gets off the mark on debut at @fgdeauville for Christophe Soumillon and Maurizio Guarnieri… pic.twitter.com/AavmVtPa5y
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 7, 2024
The winner is the fourth foal out of the G3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes-winning dam, who was a 250,000gns purchase at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Her first was the listed-placed Missyouni (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), while the family includes Cheveley Park Stud's G3 Prestige Stakes winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-placed Red Camellia (GB) (Polar Falcon), dam of the G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Red Bloom (GB) (Selkirk). Her yearling colt is by U S Navy Flag.
2nd-Deauville, €50,000, Debutantes, 7-7, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:09.62, g/s.
EPSON BLUE CEN (IRE) (f, 2, Blue Point {Ire}–Epsom Icon {GB} {GSW-Eng}, by Sixties Icon {GB}) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €25,000. O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (IRE); T-Maurizio Guarnieri. Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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