Brametot Battles To Poulains Glory

In a pulsating finish to Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Deauville, it was Al Shaqab Racing and Gerard Augustin-Normand's Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}) who edged out his compatriot Le Brivido (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) to provide Jean-Claude Rouget with a first renewal of the only domestic Classic to have so far eluded him. Better away here than when left behind at the start of the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau which he ultimately won with comfort at Chantilly Apr. 16, the 5-1 shot sat last of the small group led by Orderofthegarter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) racing towards the stand's side. Delivered by Cristian Demuro to tackle the far-side runner Le Brivido as the pair drew clear inside the final furlong, Brametot looked beaten until nearing the post when he thrust his neck out to earn a short-head verdict over the Fabre runner, with a three-length gap back to Rivet (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) who was in turn six lengths ahead of Spotify (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). “We've been lucky, as he was not among the horses that got sick this spring and escaped everything,” Rouget said. “It is not always easy to sit last and he also had to come on the inside, but he was really courageous and fought hard.”

Introduced here over six furlongs in June, Brametot dealt the subsequent listed winner Xaarino (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) a two-length beating before returning to this track in August to double that winning margin at the expense of the useful Incampo (Fr) (Campanologist) over 7 1/2 furlongs. Beaten fair and square when three-lengths second to High Alpha (Fr) (Fuisse {Fr}) as the heavy favourite on his third visit to this famed venue in the Listed Criterium du FEE over a mile later that month, he went to the provinces for a confidence-restoring win in the Listed Grand Criterium de Bordeaux in October before his coming of age in the Fontainebleau. Slowly away there and detached, the bay, who is named after a commune in Normandy, made up ground hand-over-fist in the straight to dispatch some well-regarded rivals and his date with destiny was set.

This weekend was a vital one for the Rouget stable following the much-documented spring outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1), as it marked a return to normality competing for the country's biggest prizes. Brametot was more lively out of the starting gates this time, but as in Saturday's G1 Abu Dhabi Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the field broke in two and he was left at the tail of the group which was a little off the pace far side. That five-runner pack even threatened to split at one early stage, but commonsense prevailed and they opted to trust that Ballydoyle's thoroughly genuine Orderofthegarter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) would tow them far enough. As Rivet bowled along at the head of the group racing up the middle with Inns of Court (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) also coming to the fore passing halfway, Cristian Demuro had a lot of real estate to make up, but began to wind up his mount for the pursuit. Much as Precieuse (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) had in the fillies' equivalent 24 hours earlier, Brametot delivered a sustained surge from a compromising position and joined Rivet a furlong out as Le Brivido was set alight on the wide outside. The eventual runner-up's sprinting pace looked to have settled the result soon after, but the Al Shaqab colourbearer kept grinding away at him and at the death he had worn down his rival's resistance with a sterling staying effort.

“He should stay further and he won today because of his stamina,” Rouget said of the winner, who extended what was a 2 1/2-length superiority over the Fontainebleau third Spotify into a nine-length drubbing here. “I'm delighted for the new owner partnership and for my team, as I had not won this race before. We will now take our time to decide on his future. It will either be the [June 4 G1 Prix du] Jockey Club [at Chantilly] or [the G1 St James's Palace [S. at Royal Ascot June 20], but no decision will be made yet.”

Like Saturday's heroine Precieuse, Le Brivido was stepping up from sprint trips for the first time and without Brametot would have been an impressive winner. Jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot was taken with his effort. “It was a really good performance considering he had only ran twice and lacked experience,” he said. “He had not been over that trip and was forced to be alone on the outside, but he fought bravely and should have a good future.”

William Haggas said of last year's G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Rivet, who wore his heart on his sleeve only to once again be worn down as he was by Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the Craven, “I was delighted with the filly [Sea of Grace] yesterday and with this colt today, especially as it is really hard to compete against the top stables.We have to be happy with this horse and I'm sure he has a Group 1 in him. He should stay further, so we will probably come back to France for the Jockey Club next.”

Pedigree Notes…

From the first crop of the hardly-fashionable sire Rajsaman, the winner is yet another example of his trainer's uncanny knack of turning spare change–Brametot was yet another bargain buy for Sylvain Vidal as a foal–into strong currency. He had done much the same 12 months ago with his stable star Almanzor (Fr), by the similarly unheralded Wootton Bassett (GB), not to mention his exploits with the offspring of his beloved Le Havre (Ire). Rajsaman was 10th behind Lope de Vega (Ire) in this in 2010 prior to establishing himself as a miler only a notch below the very top of the class for the Freddy Head stable. Brametot's half-brother Mulan was a middle-distance black-type performer in Scandinavia who was runner-up in the G3 Walter Nilsens Minnelop, while his dam Morning Light was a stoutly-bred daughter of the stakes-winning Mosella. That listed winner gave Germany one of its greatest gifts of recent times in the MG1SW sire phenomenon Monsun (Ger), while his full-sister Morning Queen (Ger) is the second dam of the G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Molly Malone (Fr) (Lomitas {GB}) and the G3 Prix Chloe winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary, GI Jenny Wiley S. and GI Gamely S. runner-up Wekeela (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). The third dam Monasia is a listed-winning half to Monacchia (Ger) (Bacchus {Ger}), who produced the dual Classic-winning champion Majoritat (Ger) from a mating with Monsun's German Triple Crown-winning sire Konigsstuhl (Ger). This particular branch line ends with Brametot, as he is Morning Light's last foal. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Sunday, Deauville, France
ABU DHABI POULE D'ESSAI DES POULAINS-G1, €600,000, DVL, 5-14, 3yo, c, 8fT, 1:36.82, sf.
1–&BRAMETOT (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Rajsaman (Fr)
1st Dam: Morning Light (Ger), by Law Society
2nd Dam: Mosella (Ger), by Surumu (Ger)
3rd Dam: Monasia (Ger), by Authi (Ire)
(€26,000 Wlg '14 ARQDEC). O-Al Shaqab Racing & Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Herve Cardemil (IRE); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €342,840. Lifetime Record: 6-5-1-0, €469,240. *1/2 to Mulan (Ger) (Marju {Ire}), GSP-Nor & SP-Fr,$157,444.[bullet ad=”mandore-purchased-by”]Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Le Brivido (Fr), 128, c, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–La Bugatty (Ire), by Dr Fong. (€42,000 Ylg '15 AROCT; €105,000 2yo '16 ARQMAY). O-Prince Faisal bin Khaled; B-Jean & Mme Brigitte Bugada (FR); T-Andre Fabre. €137,160.[bullet ad=”voutesales-purchase”]3–Rivet (Ire), 128, c, 3, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Starship (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-The Starship Partnership; B-Des Scott (IRE); T-William Haggas. €68,580.
Margins: SHD, 3, 6. Odds: 5.00, 12.80, 5.70.
Also Ran: Spotify (Fr), Orderofthegarter (Ire), Inns of Court (Ire), African Ride (GB), Mankib (GB), Kings Gift (Ire), Peace Envoy (Fr), South Seas (Ire), Salsabeel (Ire), National Defense (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.