By Tom Frary
Returning to the same ParisLongchamp course and mile distance over which she had dominated the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, Yeguada Centurion SL's Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}–Queen Blossom {Ire}, by Jeremy) continued where she left off with an all-the-way success in the G3 Prix de la Grotte on Sunday. Sporting a red hood for the preliminaries, the even-money favourite was sent straight to the front by Aurelien Lemaitre and was asked to extend two out. Responding generously without the need for the whip, the bay had 1 1/2 lengths to spare over Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) at the line, with the outsider Palerma (Fr) (Alex The Winner) 1 3/4 lengths away in third.
“I am delighted with the performance, because she did it with authority from the front,” trainer Christopher Head said. “She had a real campaign as a two-year-old and we had to see how she would run first time out. Now she has a race under her belt, she will come on for the run hopefully and head to the French Guineas [the May 14 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches] next.” Christophe Ferland said of Lindy, “She has run a blinder, confirming the quality she had shown as a juvenile. She finished strongly, but the winner had first call in front and we will be back for the Poule.”
Pedigree Notes
Blue Rose Cen, who also has another course-and-distance win in her palmares having captured the G3 Prix d'Aumale in September, is out of a 110,000gns 2018 Tatts December purchase by Leopoldo Fernández Pujals' operation. Her only known foal to date, the winner is a granddaughter of the G3 Silver Flash S.-placed Mark Of An Angel (Ire) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) whose career successes included the G3 Park Express S. and GIII Santa Barbara S.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE LA GROTTE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-16, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:45.07, hy.
1–BLUE ROSE CEN (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Churchill (Ire)
1st Dam: Queen Blossom (Ire) (GSW-Ire & US, $220,859), by Jeremy
2nd Dam: Mark Of An Angel (Ire), by Mark Of Esteem (Ire)
3rd Dam: Dream Time (GB), by Rainbow Quest
O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (IRE); T-Christopher Head; J-Aurelien Lemaitre. €40,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, 7-5-1-0, €365,060. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lindy (Fr), 126, f, 3, Le Havre (Ire)–Llanita (GB), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire).
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€110,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Ecurie Waldeck, Meridian International SARL Et Al; B-Ecurie La Vallee Martigny EARL (FR); T-Christophe Ferland. €16,000.
3–Palerma (Fr), 126, f, 3, Alex The Winner–Peace Mine, by Mineshaft.
1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Gerard Augustin-Normand & Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois; B-J-P-J Dubois (FR); T-Manon Scandella-Lacaille. €12,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, SNK. Odds: Evens, 10.00, 30.00.
Also Ran: Prija (Fr), Autumn Starlight (GB), Algolia (Ire), Preciosite (GB), Paz (GB), Oujda (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.
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