By Sean Cronin
Hot on the heels of Gran Sabana (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) earning a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette in Friday's opening contest at Chantilly, the Fabrice Chappet-trained $535,000 Ocala April breeze-up graduate Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) earned one of his own with a dominant performance in the one-mile Prix de Villebon for unraced 2-year-old colts and geldings. The 15-2 chance was keen under attempted restraint during the opening exchanges and raced in rear for the most part. Making smooth headway once angled to the outside in the straight, he quickened in impressive fashion to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining and kept on powerfully under minimal urging inside the final furlong to easily outpoint Badge (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), himself a half-brother to G1 Coronation S. third Jubiloso (GB) (Shamardal), by 2 1/2 lengths.
“The horse came from the [Ocala] breeze-up sales in America and he only came over here in June so has not been with us for that long,” explained Chappet. “At this stage in his behaviour, he still acts more like an American-trained colt than a European-trained colt. He broke slowly, he was keen early on and he was green also, but the way in which he swallowed all the other runners in the straight was really quite impressive. It is not certain he'll run again this season. I don't want to run him on ground that is too soft so the circumstances will decide what we do from here.”
Onesto is the second of four foals and first scorer produced by an unraced sibling of G3 Easter Cup victor Jet Away (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). The February-foaled chestnut is half to a yearling filly by Australia (GB) and a weanling filly by Gleneagles (Ire). His dam Onshore (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was acquired by Diamond Creek Farm for 320,000gns as Tattersalls' 2016 December Mares sale, was bred to American Pharoah this year. She is a daughter of Kalima (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}), herself an unraced full-sister to Juddmonte's Listed Prix des Sablonnets-winning blue hen Hasili (Ire).
3rd-Chantilly, €27,000, Mdn, 9-24, unraced 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:41.04, g/s.
ONESTO (IRE), c, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Onshore (GB), by Sea the Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Kalima (GB), by Kahyasi (Ire)
3rd Dam: Kerali (GB), by High Line (GB)
1ST-TIME STARTER. (185,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT; $535,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,500. O-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, Jean-Etienne Dubois, Ecurie Hunter Valley, Haras d'Etreham, Ecurie Billon, Ecurie Elag, Fabrice Chappet & Hubert Guy; B-Diamond Creek Farm LLC (IRE); T-Fabrice Chappet. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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