For one year staged at Chantilly, Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille looks light on its usual star quality now that Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) is in the history books but there are some lurkers among the six fillies gathered, including LNJ Foxwoods's Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}).
Despite beating the June 5 G3 Prix de Royaumont winner The Juliet Rose (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) in Deauville's G3 Prix Minerve over 12 1/2 furlongs Aug. 14, trainer Freddy Head was convinced afterwards that she has more to offer. Whether the fast pace she needs will be evident here is negligible, with most representatives accustomed to being held up in their races including the Aug. 13 G2 Prix de Pomone scorer Highlands Queen (Fr) (Mount Nelson {GB}).
She was behind the Wertheimers's Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de Diane over 10 1/2 furlongs here June 19, with the latter just a half length off La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in second in that Classic before winning the G3 Prix de Psyche over 10 furlongs at Deauville July 30.
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