By Sean Cronin
Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's homebred 3-year-old gelding Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}), who went untested as a juvenile, followed up an impressive score in his Feb. 24 debut at Chantilly with an equally taking triumph back at that track last month and continued on an upward trajectory by notching a career high on black-type bow in Sunday's G3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp. Under restraint in a close-up second until scrubbed along off the home turn, the 17-10 favourite locked horns with the pacesetting Maximus (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) passing the quarter-mile marker and would not be denied under a late drive to deny that tenacious rival by a neck.
Junko is the third foal and scorer produced by GIII Regret S. and GIII Edgewood S. placegetter Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer), herself a half-sister to MGSW GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan H. runner-up Optimizer (English Channel) and to the dam of stakes-winning GI Belmont Derby Invitational third Cellist (Big Blue Kitten). The April foaled-homebred bay is kin to a 2-year-old colt by Frankel (GB) and a weanling colt by Siyouni (Fr).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX NOAILLES-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-16, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:12.14, g/s.
1–JUNKO (GB), 128, g, 3, by Intello (Ger)
1st Dam: Lady Zuzu (MGSP-US, $112,615), by Dynaformer
2nd Dam: Indy Pick, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Fantastic Find, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Andre Fabre; J-Maxime Guyon. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €71,000. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Maximus (Fr), 128, c, 3, Intello (Ger)–Toride (Fr), by Fuisse (Fr). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€72,000 Ylg '20 ARQOCT). O-M Horse Racing & Ecurie Vivaldi; B-Haras du Quesnay (FR); T-Christophe Ferland. €16,000.
3–Garachico (GB), 128, c, 3, Ribchester (Ire)–Frine (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€40,000 Ylg '20 AROCT). O-Ecurie Mathieu Offenstadt, Sylvain Fargeon & Carlos Laffon-Parias; B-Duc d'Alburquerque, Mme Ines Laffon Lomba & Mlle Patricia Laffon Lomba (GB); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 1. Odds: 0.70, 2.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Master Gatsby (Fr), Le Sicilien (Fr), Cuncerto (Fr). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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