By Tom Frary
Entering Sunday's G3 Prix Minerve at Deauville off a success in the Listed Aphrodite S. at Newmarket July 16, Godolphin's Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was on top again with the class rise as less a problem as her odds of 9-10 suggested beforehand. Always travelling easily for William Buick under cover, the descendant of the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}) moved to the front with a furlong remaining and stayed on powerfully to score by two lengths from Queen Trezy (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}).
“She's learning all the time and quickened up the straight today, whereas it became a stamina test at Newmarket last time,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “She will hopefully go that next level and we'll perhaps look at the Vermeille for her–she's a big, scopy filly who needs to strengthen but more importantly she's getting more of a racing brain. She's going the right way and she could be around next year.”
Progressive Frankel filly! Eternal Pearl wins the Group 3 Prix Minerve to give William Buick, Charlie Appleby and @godolphin doubles at @fgdeauville… pic.twitter.com/yI5nf77l6s
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 14, 2022
Eternal Pearl, who had also been second to the subsequent G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Sea Silk Road (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Goodwood's Listed Height Of Fashion S. May 20, is out of the Listed Prix des Lilas winner Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}). She is a daughter of the German group 3 scorer Pearl Banks (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), whose Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has won three pattern races headed by the G2 Ridgewood Pearl S. and was second in the G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 Matron S. Also responsible for another German group 3 winner in Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), she is out of the aforementioned Pearly Shells who also produced the listed-winning Pearls Or Passion (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), dam of the G3 Prix de Royaumont winner Pelligrina (Ire) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Pearly Steph's colt foal is by Belardo (Ire).
Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX MINERVE-G3, €80,000, Deauville, 8-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 12 1/2fT, 2:42.83, g/s.
1–ETERNAL PEARL (GB), 123, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Pearly Steph (Fr) (SW-Fr), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Pearl Banks (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Pearly Shells (GB), by Efisio (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. (700,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-SCEA Haras De Saint Pair (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. €40,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 6-3-1-1, €95,982. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Queen Trezy (Fr), 123, f, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Elodie (GB), by Dansili (GB). (€125,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Eric Feurtet, Mme Marion le Menestrel & Haras d'Etreham; B-Eric de Chambure & Riviera Equine SARL (FR); T-Carlos & Yann Lerner. €16,000.
3–Sea The Sky (Ger), 123, f, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Sanwa (Ger), by Monsun (Ger).
1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€820,000 Ylg '20 BBASEP). O-Gestut Ammerland; B-Gestut Gorlsdorf (GER); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: 2, NK, SNK. Odds: 0.90, 12.00, 21.00.
Also Ran: Winema (Fr), Zefania (Fr), Kawida (GB), Lastotchka (Fr), Melo Melo (Fr), Fennela (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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