Ali Saeed's G1 Prix Vermeille victress Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is possible for the Oct. 3 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She also carries an entry in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot later that month. However, trainer Roger Varian is in no rush to decide where his star pupil races next.
“She got back last night and seems fine after the race, so we're very happy with that,” said Varian of the daughter of Group 1 winner Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). “James Fanshawe texted me after the race to say congratulations and how nice it is to keep a Group 1-winning line going. He also said it's a sign that I'm getting on a bit! Maybe he's right.”
He added, “I haven't had a conversation with the owner yet, but you'd have to consider the Arc if we're happy with the filly over the next two and a half weeks and the ground looks like it will be fairly sound.
“I don't think we'd entertain a very soft-ground Arc–I don't think that would be her bag. But if the forecast and the ground is in our favour, and we're happy with the filly's condition, I'm sure it will be seriously considered.
“I think at the moment we keep everything on the table and don't make any decisions, because we don't have to. She's got these big-race entries, so we don't have to supplement her or anything like that, which means we can make these decisions late. The nice thing for us now is that she's won the Vermeille and established herself as a top-drawer filly.
“She's won her Group 1, so we don't have to keep telling everyone she's good–she's proved it. Everything remains a possibility with a filly like that.”
A winner in two starts as a juvenile, the bay ran third to Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York on May 12, and was 10th to that Coolmore partners' luminary in the G1 Cazoo Oaks on June 4. Given some time off to mature, she returned with a smart 3 3/4-length victory in a Windsor listed affair on Aug. 28 prior to her shock defeat of Snowfall in the Vermeille.
On the chance of Teona remaining in training, Varian added,
“I haven't discussed that with the owner, but I certainly hope so. She's only just getting started. Her mother raced as a 5-year-old, and there is no reason to think Teona won't get better with age.”
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