By Tom Frary
Reprising his winning performance in Deauville's G3 Prix Djebel in April, Hisaaki Saito's Good Guess (GB) (Kodiac {GB}–Zykina {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) upset some big names with no hint of fluke as he powered to success over the same seven-furlong trip in Sunday's G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat. Sent off at 24-1 having failed to further his claims as an elite runner when sixth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and second in the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac, the Fabrice Chappet-trained grandson of Cheveley Park's champion Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo) bided his time early under cover among the main group.
Unleashed by Stephane Pasquier to cut down the long-time leader Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) approaching the furlong marker, he drew away to beat that filly by three lengths, with the same margin back to his Paul de Moussac conqueror Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great) in third. The 7-10 favourite Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) proved a major disappointment, failing to land a blow and finishing a tame seventh as the 2000 Guineas form surprisingly unravelled in spectacular fashion.
“I love this horse,” Pasquier said. “He was good in the Djebel, but he was still immature physically and needed time to mature and grow into himself. The pace was fast which suited me and although I wanted to ride him closer to the pace, he was slow from the gates and in the end I had plenty of time to pick my position. He can shorten up or go further, it doesn't matter to him. He's a genuine group one horse.”
40/1 shock! Good Guess blitzes them in the G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat at @fgdeauville for @pasquito60 and @ChappetRacing!
Hot favourite Chaldean well-beaten at the line… pic.twitter.com/mrejE3Gz9h
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 9, 2023
Kept to sprint trips at two, Good Guess was successful on his first two starts at Chantilly before finishing ninth and third on his next starts in this track's G3 Prix de Cabourg in August and Listed Prix Zeddaan in October. There was nothing in the form of the Djebel–where he got the better of Breizh Sky–that suggested he was top-drawer material upped to this trip for the first time and after his uninspiring Poulains effort he was behind Breizh Sky in the Paul de Moussac with no obvious excuse other than he was giving that rival two pounds.
Fabrice Chappet was not surprised by the outcome and said, “He's always been a good horse who we have liked for a long time. He won the Djebel nicely, missed the break in the Poulains and last time there was no pace which he really needs. That happened for him today and now he'll probably come back here in August for either the Maurice de Gheest or Jacques le Marois.”
The G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Sauterne, whose only poor run had come in the course-and-distance G3 Prix Imprudence, recorded a career-best with another heart-on-her-sleeve performance. After killing off the main British and Irish contingent in Chaldean, Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who all followed her in the five-strong separate group up the centre, she lost out only to the winner who had raced away from her.
Sauterne's trainer Patrice Cottier, who had enjoyed a red-letter day at Saint-Cloud on Saturday as Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) captured the G2 Prix Eugene Adam, paid tribute to the Marseille-based teak-tough filly who was having her ninth start since debuting in late November. “I'm delighted with the performance–she never runs a bad race and has been so consistent. She's been travelling a lot back and forth, so we'll see how she is after this before deciding on where she goes next.”
Alessandro Botti said of Breizh Sky, “Unfortunately, he was a little too far back and had too much ground to make up, but all things considered put in another excellent performance.”
Pedigree Notes
Good Guess, who was a 420,000gns purchase from the Cheveley Park Stud draft by Chauvigny Global Equine at the 2021 Book 1 Sale, is a half-brother to the operation's Spangled (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) who was also at her best over this trip when winning the G3 Sceptre S. He is currently the last known foal out of the dam Zykina (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who also produced the listed-placed sprinter Jumira Bridge (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and is a daughter of the aforementioned G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S., G1 Nassau S. and G1 Lockinge S. heroine Russian Rhythm.
That Cheveley Park luminary's listed-placed Safina (GB) was also by Pivotal and is in turn responsible for last year's G3 Atalanta S. scorer Potapova (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the G3 Fred Darling S. winner Marenko (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Russian Rhythm is also the second dam of Pivotal's G3 Princess Elizabeth S. winner Bashkirova (GB) and the fellow group 3 scorer Zonderland (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}). This is the family of the G1 Irish Oaks winner Alydaress (Alydar), the G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine and excellent producer Park Appeal (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}) with her renowned son Cape Cross (Ire), and of the G1 1000 Guineas-winning champion Shadayid (Shadeed).
Sunday, Deauville, France
HARAS D'ETREHAM PRIX JEAN PRAT-G1, €400,000, Deauville, 7-9, 3yo, c/f, 7fT, 1:23.36, sf.
1–GOOD GUESS (GB), 128, c, 3, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Zykina (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Russian Rhythm, by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Balistroika, by Nijinsky
1ST G1 WIN. (420,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Hisaaki Saito; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Fabrice Chappet; J-Stephane Pasquier. €228,560. Lifetime Record: 8-4-1-1, €324,060. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sauterne (Fr), 125, f, 3, Kingman (GB)–Salicorne, by Aragorn (Ire). (€130,000 RNA Ylg '21 ARQAUG; £1,200,000 RNA HRA '23 GOFLON). O/B-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €91,440.
3–Breizh Sky (Fr), 128 c, 3, Pedro The Great–Anna Danse (Fr), by Anabaa. (€14,000 RNA Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-Alain Jathiere, Louis Baudron, Alessandro Botti, Giuseppe Botti & Ecurie Elag; B-Haras des Evees, Daniel Cherdo & Mme Claudie Cherdo (FR); T-Alessandro & Giuseppe Botti. €45,720.
Margins: 3, 3, 3/4. Odds: 24.10, 14.00, 8.40.
Also Ran: Indestructible (Ire), Shouldvebeenaring (GB), Belbek (Fr), Chaldean (GB), Charyn (Ire), Hi Royal (Ire), Showay (Fr), Meditate (Ire), Night Of Lightning (GB). Scratched: Habana (Ger). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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