By Tom Frary
Adding more gravitas, if any were needed, to her compatriot Ramatuelle (Justify) who had handed her a comprehensive beating in the G3 Prix du Bois, Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick's TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) found her level on Wednesday evening when winning Vichy's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles. Beaten 6 3/4 lengths by that hugely-talented Christopher Head trainee in the six-furlong test at Chantilly last month, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained half-sister to the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred S. hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) was up a furlong here and Mickael Barzalona was able to sit near the back and bide his time.
Still towards rear turning for home, the 19-10 favourite got rolling soon after to swoop on the front end passing the furlong pole. At the line, the filly who had been one of a trio of private purchases from Coolmore last year had half a length to spare over Juddmonte's Employ (Ire) (Caravaggio), with a neck back to Tulipa Chope (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}) in third.
Les Pavots, who had been handed the TDN Rising Star tag on her impressive debut over the Prix du Bois course and distance in early May, had found Balsam (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) 3/4 of a length too strong in this track's Listed Prix des Reves d'Or dropping to five later that month. That form was shown in a kind light when the winner went on to finish just over five lengths behind Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. next time and five furlongs was always going to be on the sharp side for a filly with this pedigree.
Les Pavots is the fifth of six foals out of Coolmore's G3 Ballyogan S.-placed Sparrow (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who also produced the dual stakes winner and G3 Gordon S. runner-up Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Her dam is the G3 Middleton S. winner and Oaks runner-up All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), a daughter of the legendary Urban Sea (Miswaki) and therefore a full-sister to the great Galileo (Ire). Sparrow's yearling colt is by Camelot (GB).
Wednesday, Vichy, France
PRIX DES JOUVENCEAUX ET DES JOUVENCELLES – BERNARD FERRAND-Listed, €60,000, Vichy, 7-19, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.09, g/s.
1–LES PAVOTS (IRE), 125, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Sparrow (Ire) (GSP-Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Craig Bernick & Haras d'Etreham; B-Coolmore Stud (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €30,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Fr, 4-2-1-1, €69,000. *1/2 to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), MG1SW-Aus, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $3,663,231; and Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW & GSP-Aus, SW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $192,495.
2–Employ (Ire), 125, f, 2, Caravaggio–Emergent (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Henri-Francois Devin. €12,000.
3–Tulipa Chope (Fr), 125, f, 2, Born To Sea (Ire)–Tulipe Rouge (Fr), by Panis. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€5,000 Ylg '22 OSASEP). O-Alain Jathiere; B-Alain Chopard & Cedric Boutin (FR); T-Stephane Wattel. €9,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 2HF. Odds: 1.90, 7.60, 3.90.
Also Ran: Lightning Leo (GB), Man With The Plan (Ire), Vive La Reine (Fr), Wootton Verni (Fr), Gee Whizzer (Fr), Rose Academy (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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