By Sean Cronin
Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud's hitherto unraced Gran Sabana (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) went largely unconsidered as a 20-1 chance for Friday's Prix de Toutevoie, a one-mile newcomers' test for juvenile fillies, at Chantilly and made a mockery of her long odds with a devastating burst to attain 'TDN Rising Stardom' on debut. The eventual winner was patiently ridden through halfway and raced off the tempo in rear until turning for home. Rowed along to close approaching the quarter-mile marker, she displayed an impressive turn of foot to move into contention out wide passing the eighth pole and kept on powerfully in the closing stages to deny Andromede (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) by a length in the dying strides. Dark Luck (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the first foal out of a GSW half-sister to Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), was never a factor and finished 10th.
“Everything she was doing at exercise in the morning, she was doing very easily,” revealed trainer Pia Brandt. “We never really ask them to show us the truth at home, but we really hoped she would show us some good things today and she did so very nicely. We'll see how she comes out of the race and hope she takes it well. She's a Kingman so I don't imagine she'll stay much further than a mile. We will take our time with her, but we really hope she will be a nice prospect.”
Gran Sabana is the third of five foals and second scorer out of Listed Chalice S. third Cascading (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), herself half to G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-winning sire National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the dual stakes-placed Nordic Defense (Fr) (Makfi {GB}). Cascading was herself purchased by Meridian International's Ghislain Bozo on behalf of Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud for 525,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2016. Gran Sabana is kin to a yearling colt by Roaring Lion, who is slated to sell as Lot 396 at next week's Goffs Orby sale, and a weanling colt by Advertise (GB). Her G3 Prix d'Aumale-winning third dam Anna Palariva (Ire) (Caerleon), herself a daughter of G3 Park Hill S. victrix Anna of Saxony (GB) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}), produced three black-type winners of her own headed by G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third Anna Salai (Dubawi {Ire}), the dam of this term's G1 Epsom Derby and G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
1st-Chantilly, €27,000, Mdn, 9-24, unraced 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:42.31, g/s.
GRAN SABANA (IRE), f, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Cascading (GB) (SP-Eng), by Teofilo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Angel Falls (GB), by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Anna Palariva (Ire), by Caerleon
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,500. O/B-Ecuries des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Pia & Joakim Brandt. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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