Gutaifan's Fev Rover Earns Calvados Verdict

Richard Fahey trainee Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan) was rewarded for runner-up finishes at Doncaster and Newmarket with a first black-type success upped to seven furlongs for Sandown's July 21 Listed Star S. and duly delivered as a short-odds selection for a second in Saturday's G2 Shadwell Prix du Calvados at Deauville. The April-foaled dark bay raced prominently, just behind the pacesetting Plainchant (Fr) (Gregorian {Ire}), for most of the straight seven-furlong trip. Rowed along to close on that rival passing the quarter-mile marker, the 6-5 favourite came under sterner urging entering the final furlong and found an extra gear in the closing stages to prevail in game fashion. At the line, she held a neck buffer, with one length back to last month's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure victress King's Harlequin (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in third.

“The trainer asked me not to come too soon because there was a possibility she could idle and stop in front,” explained winning rider Christophe Soumillon. “It's not that I timed my move well, but more that the filly in front kind of stopped. In fact my filly was hanging in and out throughout the whole race and didn't use herself properly. If she had I think that she would have won more comfortably than she did.”

Fev Rover becomes the first pattern-race winner for her sire and is the best of three winners from as many runners out of Laurelita (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), herself a winning daughter of Chervil (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who in turn is three-parts sister to GI Yellow Ribbon S. heroine Light Jig (GB) (Danehill). Light Jig produced three black-type winners headed by GI Hollywood Derby hero Seek Again (Speightstown) and G3 Jebel Ali Mile victor Treble Jig (Gone West). Decendants of Fev Rover's third dam, G2 Prix d'Astarte winner and GI Yellow Ribbon S. second  Nashmeel (Blushing Groom {Fr}), include Listed Criterium de l'Ouest victor and G3 Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord runner-up Battle Dore (Sanglamore) and Listed Prix de Saint-Patrick scorer Lynton (Lyphard). Laurelita has a yearling colt by El Kabeir and a weanling colt by Starspangledbanner (Aus) to come.

Saturday, Deauville, France

SHADWELL PRIX DU CALVADOS-G2, €90,000, Deauville, 8-22, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.53, vsf.
1–FEV ROVER (IRE), 123, f, 2, by Gutaifan (Ire)
1st Dam: Laurelita (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Chervil (GB), by Dansili (GB)
3rd Dam: Nashmeel, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST GROUP WIN. (£20,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Nick Bradley Racing 43 & Partner; B-Manister House Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey; J-Christophe Soumillon. €51,300. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 4-2-2-0, €78,472. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Plainchant (Fr), 123, f, 2, Gregorian (Ire)–Nadinska (GB), by Doyen (Ire). (€3,000 RNA Wlg '18 ARQDEC; €4,000 Ylg '19 AROCT). O-Alain Jathiere, Sauro-Andrea Fiordelli & Maurizio Guarnieri; B-EARL Elevage des Loges (FR); T-Maurizio Guarnieri. €19,800.
3–King's Harlequin (Ire), 123, f, 2, Camelot (GB)–Swift Action (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€30,000 Ylg '19 GOFORB). O-Sam Sangster, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing LLC, Mme Margaret Perle O'Rourke & Solomon Kumin; B-E J Loder (IRE); T-Nicolas Clement. €9,450.
Margins: NK, 1, NK. Odds: 1.20, 19.00, 9.40.
Also Ran: No Speak Alexander (Ire), Louliana (Ire), Magna Mater (Ire), Stardevote (Ire), Cassiopea (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.