By Tom Frary
Tony Parker's Infinity Nine Horses was in the limelight at ParisLongchamp on Sunday as the Mikel Delzangles-trained Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) denied Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) the G1 1000 Guineas-G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches double in a frantic finale. Having surrendered her unbeaten record when third in the course-and-distance G3 Prix de la Grotte Apr. 17, last year's G3 Prix Miesque winner was back on track where it mattered under one of the world's most journeyed and accomplished jockeys in Gerald Mossé. Settled behind the leading quartet early despite being caught wide, the 10-1 shot swooped on the leader Cachet with a furlong remaining and it was nip-and-tuck from there to the line. When it came, the Newmarket Classic heroine was rallying gamely but the grey still had a head to spare, with Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) closing in with every stride to finish a short head away in third in a blanket finish. “We didn't get cover but I thought, 'don't panic' and she really gave me a good feel and fought to the line. The English filly was tough, but she had kept something in the locker,” Mossé said. “When you ride one on a day like this, with that crowd, it reminds me of the old days. For the time being, I'll keep riding and keep my training licence in my pocket.”
Trained by Frederic Rossi last term, Mangoustine who was a €46,000 purchase by David Redvers at the 2020 Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale was three-for-three with a Deauville introduction followed by Lyon-Parilly's Listed Criterium de Lyon over a mile and Chantilly's G3 Prix Miesque at seven furlongs. Sharpened by her return in the Grotte, she was able to draft close up in the initial stages of this race which acted as a precursor of what was to come in the Poulains. With the eventual first three in the first five early on, the front end was the place to be at ParisLongchamp on Sunday and it is to the winner's credit that she gave the 1000 Guineas winner a two-length headstart before running her down. Her penultimate furlong of 10.82 was the fine margin which told in the end as the first eight were covered by just over two lengths.
Delzangles is thinking of Royal Ascot for the winner now. “We hadn't planned to be where we were, but she was very relaxed and it was a good pace,” he said. “I wasn't surprised that she was beaten in her trial, as she was well but not at 100%. She needed a bit of time to come out of the winter and everything looked perfect after the Grotte. A mile is her distance, so she might go to the [G1] Coronation.”
George Boughey said of the gallant runner-up, who was not asked to race as hard early as she had been at Newmarket, “She ran a blinder. She was tenacious again there and did the donkey work and battled back when they joined her. I'm sure there are other races in her and it's a huge compliment to her just two weeks after the Guineas. The draw possibly cost us, as she had to give up a little bit of ground from that and she'll go to the Coronation now.”
Mangoustine, whose 2-year-old half-brother by Zoustar (Aus) was a 35,000gns Book 2 purchase by Sam Sangster Bloodstock, is out of a half-sister to another Pouliches heroine in Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast), who also annexed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Her dam Zotilla (Ire) (Zamindar), who also has a filly foal by Too Darn Hot (GB), is a daughter of the GIII Miesque S. winner Louvain (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}) and therefore a half to the Listed Prix Right Royal winner Big Five (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the stakes-winning Louvakhova (Maria's Mon). She is in turn the dam of G3 Gallinule S. winner Crossfirehurricane (Kitten's Joy) and the Listed Patton S. winner My Generation (Speightstown).
Louvain is a daughter of the listed-winning sprinter Flanders (Ire) (Common Grounds {GB}), who also finished runner-up in the G2 King's Stand S. before producing the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner G Force (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}). She is a half-sister to the dam of the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup-winning sire Lethal Force (Ire) by Mangoustine's sire Dark Angel, while this is also the family of the G1 Prix Morny runner-up Family One (Fr) (Dubai Destination) and the G2 Rockfel S. winner Juliet Capulet (Ire) also by Dark Angel.
"It's like a dream!"
Former NBA star @tonyparker gets his first Group 1 as an owner with Mangoustine, and tells @KfordEquidia that a trip to @Ascot is not off the cards! 🏀 pic.twitter.com/h2hIL2wQJm
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 15, 2022
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
EMIRATES POULE D'ESSAI DES POULICHES-G1, €500,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-15, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:35.72, g/s.
1–MANGOUSTINE (FR), 126, f, 3, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Zotilla (Ire), by Zamindar
2nd Dam: Louvain (Ire), by Sinndar (Ire)
3rd Dam: Flanders (Ire), by Common Grounds (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€46,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Infinity Nine Horses, Ecurie des Monceaux, Qatar Racing Ltd & Alexandre Giannotti; B-Ecurie des Monceaux, Lordship Stud & Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (FR); T-Mikel Delzangles; J-Gerald Mosse. €285,700. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-1, €381,200. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cachet (Ire), 126, f, 3, Aclaim (Ire)–Poyle Sophie (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). (14,000gns RNA Ylg '20 TATASY; 60,000gns 2yo '21 TATBRE). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Wild Flower); B-Hyde Park Stud (IRE); T-George Boughey. €114,300.
3–Times Square (Fr), 126, f, 3, Zarak (Fr)–See You Always (GB), by Siyouni (Fr). O-Allan Belshaw; B-Times of Wigan Ltd (FR); T-Christophe Ferland. €57,150.
Margins: HD, SHD, 3/4. Odds: 10.90, 5.70, 19.00.
Also Ran: Rosacea (Ire), Daisy Maisy (GB), Zelda (Fr), Sicilian Defense (GB), Jumbly (GB), Mqse de Sevigne (Ire), Osmose (Fr), Toy (Ire), Sea of Ash (Fr), Who Knows (Fr), Acer Alley (GB), Heat of the Moment (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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