Justify's Ramatuelle Roars Back To Her Best In The Foret

Bouncing back to her best, Ramatuelle (Justify–Raven's Lady {GB}, by Raven's Pass) ended a frustratingly long wait for another career success in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret to close out ParisLongchamp's elite contests in style. Completing another strong Arc day for the fillies, the 3-year-old whose owners include Tony Parker's Infinity Nine Horses had been without a win since the G2 Prix Robert Papin last July but was on her A-game from the outset here tanking on the heels of the leaders.

Set alight by Aurelien Lemaitre approaching the furlong pole, the 5-1 joint-second favourite drew away with zest to inflict a three-length defeat on Marc Chan's 2022 Foret hero Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}), with 3/4 of a length back to Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) to make it a one-two-three for the TDN Rising Stars. “We're now able to go for the Breeders' Cup,” trainer Christopher Head said. “She'll do even better next year–she's getting better with time. Its been a chaotic year and I'm so pleased for the owners.”

Ramatuelle powers home in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de la Foret Presente par Education Above All for @CHeadRacing and @lemaitre60LA at @paris_longchamp! pic.twitter.com/saXhMnZ7bd

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 6, 2024

Ramatuelle had looked a surefire imminent group 1 winner after her dominant performances in the G3 Prix du Bois and Robert Papin last term, so it is with an element of surprise that connections have had to endure a spell of 15 months for it to finally unfold. Unfortunate to run into a peak-form Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G1 Prix Morny and possibly used up too early when caught late on in the G1 1,000 Guineas, she had begun to look an uncertain stayer at a mile when again third in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on her last trip to the races.

Always travelling with intent from her favourable draw, she fired in a penultimate split of 11.35–the same recorded in the Arc by Aventure–to settle the issue as Kinross struggled to find his old acceleration. The runner-up's trainer Ralph Beckett was full of admiration for his popular veteran on a red-letter day for his stable. “What a horse. He's been beaten by a very, very good filly–maybe it's as simple as that,” he said. “We'll see how he comes out of it, but he could go for the Champions Sprint if the ground is on his side, we will see how it goes. He had good horses in behind him and it was perhaps a deeper Foret than we're used to, with Tribalist etc.”

Pedigree Notes
Ramatuelle is the first foal out of the G2 Goldene Peitsche and G3 Summer Stakes winner Raven's Lady (GB) (Raven's Pass), who was acquired for $300,000 by Yeguada Centurion at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. The second dam is the unraced Pivotal Lady (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), a daughter of the G3 Fred Darling Stakes winner Sueboog (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) whose progeny list is headed by the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Best Of The Bests (Ire) (Machiavellian). Also linked to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Reliable Man (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), Raven's Lady has the unraced 2-year-old colt Tito Mo Cen (Ire) (Uncle Mo) and a yearling colt by Lope De Vega (Ire) named Mr Lope Cen (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DE LA FORET (PRESENTE PAR EDUCATION ABOVE ALL)-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-6, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:20.02, vsf.
1–RAMATUELLE, 122, f, 3, by Justify
1st Dam: Raven's Lady (GB) (GSW-Eng & Ger, $238,499), by Raven's Pass
2nd Dam: Pivotal Lady (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Sueboog (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
TDN Rising Star. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€100,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Infinity Nine Horses, Ecurie des Monceaux, Hollymount Stud France SC, Chun Wai Kwok, Mme Ilse Smits, Arthur Hoyeau & Clement Tropres; B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (KY); T-Christopher Head; J-Aurelien Lemaitre. €199,990. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Eng, 9-4-3-2, €587,226. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Kinross (GB), 128, g, 7, Kingman (GB)–Ceilidh House (GB), by Selkirk. TDN Rising Star. O-Marc Chan; B-Lawn Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. €80,010.
3–Beauvatier (Fr), 126, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Enchanting Skies (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). TDN Rising Star. (€160,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Philippe Allaire & Haras d'Etreham; B-Ecurie des Monceaux, Qatar Bloodstock Ltd & Mme Barbara M Keller (FR); T-Yann Barberot. €40,005.
Margins: 3, 3/4, SNK. Odds: 5.00, 1.90, 23.00.
Also Ran: Exxtra (Fr), Poet Master (Ire), Zerostress (Ger), Matilda Picotte (Ire), River Tiber (Ire), Big Rock (Fr), Tribalist (GB), Gregarina (Fr), Ocean Jewel (Ire), King Gold (Fr), Breege (GB), Tiber Flow (Ire), Ribaltagaia. Scratched: Kelina (Ire), Flora Of Bermuda (Ire).