By Sean Cronin
His Highness The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), winner of last term's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage, was a class above his rivals in Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche and laid down a marker for next month's G1 Prix du Jockey Club with an impressive 2 1/2-length success in the nine-furlong Chantilly feature. The homebred bay had previously opened up with a July 21 debut score at Bordeaux-Le Bouscat and closed his three-race juvenile campaign with a third in this venue's Sept. 29 G3 Prix de Conde. He went postward as the even-money favourite, coming back off a close-up fifth in last month's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau at ParisLongchamp, and settled off the tempo in sixth through halfway. Making smooth headway on the bridle in the straight, he quickened smartly for control entering the final furlong and was pushed out in the latter stages to easily account for Machete (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), who finished a short neck ahead of Implementation (Constitution).
“The pacemaker [Kotari] did a great job and, watching the race, I was awfully confident,” said trainer Jean-Claude Rouget after adding a another string to his Classic bow. “Vadeni was perfectly relaxed and that's want you want with him. He's not complicated, he just needs to be in the right rhythm and ridden from behind. In the [G3] Prix de Conde last year, I feel that Christophe [Soumillon] put him in the race too soon and committed too early. He had run a good race in the [G3 Prix de] Fontainebleau, that was just to get him going again and we already had this race in mind. I think it is the perfect prep for the [G1] Prix du Jockey Club, nine furlongs before stretching to the 10 1/2 furlongs. I have won it many times, including with Almanzor, and the timing is perfect. We now have to see how the two [Lassaut and Welwal] will fare on Sunday in the [G1 Poule d'Essai des] Poulains. We also have Al Hakeem who won the [Listed] Prix de Suresnes. The stable will be well represented in the Jockey Club.”
Vadeni is the sixth of seven foals and one of five scorers from as many runners produced by a winning daughter of G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Vadawina (Ire) (Unfuwain). The March-foaled bay is kin to four-time stakes placegeter Vadsena (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), Listed Torney Night Cup third Vadiyann (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and a 2-year-old colt by Camelot (GB). Vadawina, half to another G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner in Vazira (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), produced five stakes performers of her own headed by GSW G1 Grand Premio di Milano third Vadamar (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), MGSP Listed Prix Isonomy victrix Vedouma (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and GSW G1 Racing Post Trophy placegetter The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Vadeni's family also features G1 Queen Anne S. and G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Valixir (Ire) (Trempolino), G1 Prix du Moulin-winning sire Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) and GI Breeders' Cup Mile-winning sire Val Royal (Fr) (Royal Academy).
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE GUICHE-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 5-10, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 1:51.00, gd.
1–VADENI (FR), 128, c, 3, by Churchill (Ire)
1st Dam: Vaderana (Fr), by Monsun (Ger)
2nd Dam: Vadawina (Ire), by Unfuwain
3rd Dam: Vadaza (Fr), by Zafonic
1ST GROUP WIN. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Christophe Soumillon. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, €130,000. *1/2 to Vadsena (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), MSP-Fr; and Vadiyann (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), SP-Aus, $140,637. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Machete (Fr), 128, c, 3, Myboycharlie (Ire)–Maid To Believe (GB), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€52,000 RNA Ylg '20 AROCT). O/B-Rashit Shaykhutdinov (FR); T-Fabrice Chappet. €16,000.
3–Implementation, 128, c, 3, Constitution–Elegant By Nature (Ire), by Footstepsinthesand (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. ($0 RNA Ylg '20 KEEDIG). O/B-Abdullah Saeed M Almaddah (KY); T-Pia & Joakim Brandt. €12,000.
Margins: 2HF, SNK, 2. Odds: 1.00, 18.00, 13.00.
Also Ran: Dreamflight (GB), Mister Saint Paul (Fr), Valmer Magic (Fr), Kotari (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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