By Tom Frary
Maintaining the overseas stranglehold on the G1 Criterium International, Guy Pariente, Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}–Kensea {Fr}, by Kendargent {Fr}) struck for the David Menuisier stable at Saint-Cloud on Sunday. Putting the pressure on the leader Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) soon after the start, the 4-1 shot bagged the stand's-side fence after the home turn and used that to his advantage as the 4-5 favourite Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) loomed on his outside. Engaged in battle with that rival approaching the final furlong, the G2 Champagne S. runner-up asserted in the last 50 metres to win by half a length, with the other Ballydoyle runner Portland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) 1 3/4 lengths away in third.
“He is improving and handles these [soft] conditions, but he's a beautiful mover and will be okay on faster ground as well,” jockey Oisin Murphy said of the winner, who was extending the dominance of foreign raiders in this mile with the last French-trained winner being Ectot (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) in 2013. “He was very relaxed and perfect today. David thought he was very good from early on.”
Impressive on his Sandown debut over seven furlongs in June, Sunway was one of a quintet who suffered defeat behind the subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in Ascot's Listed Pat Eddery S. on King George day who have since captured a significant black-type race. He had Rosallion behind when second to Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) again over seven in the Champagne at Doncaster last month and as a full-brother to the G1 Champion S. hero Sealiway (Fr) was always going to relish this extra trip.
Menuisier said, “Oisin rode him at home in a canter in May and he was gobsmacked–he said 'that's the best 2-year-old I've ridden all year' and he wasn't even working at that point. He won really well first time out and came out of Ascot lame, so we have to draw a line through that and the form of the Champagne Stakes was amazing. We felt that he had improved as well, so we were quietly confident. He managed to grab the rail, which I think made the difference. Why not the [G1] Poule d'Essai [des Poulains]?–he will have to be entered everywhere.”
Pedigree Notes
As mentioned above, Sunway is a full-brother to Sealiway, who aside from his Ascot heroics also captured the G1 Prix Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and was second in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. The listed-winning dam, who has a yearling full-sister to the pair, has a 3×4 inbreeding to Kendargent's sire Kenmare (Fr). Other members of the family are the G2 Prix de Mallert scorer Another Dancer (Groom Dancer) and the G3 Park Express S. winner Pollen (Ire) Orpen).
Congratulations @DavidMenuisier!
The Frenchman returns home and bags the G1 Criterium International with SUNWAY under @oismurphy 🏆pic.twitter.com/U3io73PSZc
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) October 22, 2023
Sunday, Saint-Cloud, France
CRITERIUM INTERNATIONAL-G1, €250,000, Saint-Cloud, 10-22, 2yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:46.32, vsf.
1–SUNWAY (FR), 126, c, 2, by Galiway (GB)
1st Dam: Kensea (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr)
2nd Dam: Sea Island (Fr), by Gold Away (Ire)
3rd Dam: Equatoriale (Fr), by Saint Estephe (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€300,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Guy Pariente, Thomas Lines & Qatar Racing; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-David Menuisier; J-Oisin Murphy. €142,850. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 4-2-1-0, €179,992. *Full to Sealiway (Fr), G1SW-Eng & Fr, $1,959,547. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alcantor (Fr), 126, c, 2, New Bay (GB)–Bianca De Medici (GB), by Medicean (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. (€180,000 Wlg '21 ARQDEC). O-Baron Edouard de Rothschild; B-SCEA du Grand Chene (FR); T-Andre Fabre. €57,150.
3–Portland (Ire), 126, c, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Zagitova (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €28,575.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, NK. Odds: 4.30, 0.80, 18.00.
Also Ran: Saganti (Fr), Navy Seal (Ire), Havana Cigar (GB), Grey Man (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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