By Tom Frary
Aidan O'Brien has yet to win the G1 Prix de Diane Longines and son Donnacha has the jump on him in his first season training after Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) battled to glory in Sunday's Chantilly Classic. Runner-up but the major eye-catcher in the June 13 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, Michael Tabor's second-string behind the winner of that Classic Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was always close to the pace set by the G1 Coronation S. heroine Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}). Gaining the edge with 300 metres remaining, the 8-1 shot kept finding to deny that 2-1 favourite in a nip-and-tuck finale. At the line, she had a short neck to spare over the Niarchos homebred, with two heads separating Peaceful and Raabihah (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a four-way thriller.
“This is another great moment in a very strange season, but it's all going well now,” winning jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot commented. “I'm absolutely thrilled to win a first Classic for such a young trainer and he said she was very straightforward and easy to ride and would stay very well. We didn't go very fast in front, but it wasn't in our interest nor that of Stephane Pasquier to set the pace for the others. She really put her heart into it for me.”
Donnacha is only 21 and was understandably delighted to become the third member of his family to train a Classic winner. “There's so much pressure and a lot of work goes into it, but this feeling is great,” he said. “I always knew she was a very good filly and we always thought the step up in trip would suit her. Pierre is a very good rider and I told him to do what he wants. There was no pace early so he went forward on her and sat upsides the leader. It was exactly what I would have liked him to do. She quickened up well and stuck at it. We'll get her home and see how she is. We might have a look at the [G1] Irish Oaks at The Curragh.”
Trained at Ballydoyle last term, Fancy Blue was off the mark on debut over seven furlongs at Naas in September before taking the Listed Staffordstown Stud S. at The Curragh the following month. Making up an abundance of ground out wide against the bias in the Irish Guineas, she was at the forefront here and from some way out had only Alpine Star to beat. Despite the oncoming threat of Peaceful and Raabihah to her left, it was the market-leader down on the rail who she had to subdue and she finally did so in the last 50 metres.
Alpine Star's trainer Jessie Harrington said of the runner-up, “She's gone very close and it was a whisker either way. Maybe the ground was a bit too quick for her, but that's life. It's quite a funny feeling to be disappointed after running second in a group one. She ran her heart out. It's pretty quick after Ascot and I'm delighted with her. She seems to stay and she did everything right.”
Fancy Blue is out of Chenchikova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who was also responsible for the Listed Star Appeal S. winner and G1 Dewhurst S. third Smuggler's Cove (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and his dual listed-winning full-brother Casterton (Ire). The second dam Kasora (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) was “Broodmare of the Year” in 2002 and 2003 courtesy of the exploits of Chenchikova's famed full-brother, the G1 Epsom and Irish Derby and dual GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero and leading sire High Chaparral (Ire) and his G2 Dante S.-winning full-brother Black Bear Island (Ire) who was also runner-up in the GI Secretariat S. Also connected is the listed-placed Treasure the Lady (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who is in turn the second dam of this year's G3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial winner Love Locket (Ire) (No Nay Never). Kasora is also the second dam of the G3 Hampton Court S. winner Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who was third in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational as well, and the G2 Beresford S. scorer and G1 National S. third David Livingston (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Chenchikova also has an as-yet unraced filly by Zoffany (Ire) named Miss Chess (Ire) and a yearling filly by Caravaggio.
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE DIANE LONGINES-G1, €600,000, Chantilly, 7-5, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:05.46, g/s.
1–FANCY BLUE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Chenchikova (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Kasora (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Kozana (GB), by Kris (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €342,840. Lifetime Record: SW & G1SP-Ire, 4-3-1-0, €432,092. *1/2 to Smuggler's Cove (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), SW-Ire & G1SPEng, $137,682; and Casterton (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), MSW & GSP-Fr, $163,024. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Alpine Star (Ire), 126, f, 3, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy. O/B-Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €137,160.
3–Peaceful (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Missvinski, by Stravinsky. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €68,580.
Margins: SNK, HD, HD. Odds: 8.10, 2.10, 3.90.
Also Ran: Raabihah, Magic Attitude (GB), Ebaiyra, Solsticia (Ire), Speak of the Devil (Fr), Miss Extra (Fr), Mageva (GB), Vadsena (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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