By Tom Frary
There was a chance beforehand that the Wertheimers' 3-year-old Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}–Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) had an edge over his elders in Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp, but few would have imagined how great his advantage was as he outclassed them with a vintage display. Always happy at the head of affairs under Maxime Guyon, the Christophe Ferland-trained homebred started to draw clear from the top of the straight and despite wandering around in the clear was so far in front inside the last 100 metres that he was able to be eased for a 7 1/2-length success. Skazino (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) was next best behind the 100-30 favourite, with Tashkhan (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third.
“We are very happy and the big question was the ground, because he has never run on that kind of surface,” the owner-breeders' racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau said of the gelding, who had warmed up for this by winning the track's G2 Prix Chaudenay on Arc weekend. “We knew the horse had that quality, but he was the only three-year-old facing older horses who have much more experience than him, so what he did was very nice and we are very happy. He is a gelding, so hopefully he can travel as well but we are going to enjoy what happened today because it was a really nice performance.”
On a weekend when Japanese breeding and racing was proving unequivocally at the forefront internationally, this was the icing on the cake. Improving with every move up in trip, Double Major was making marked progression from his second in this track's G3 Prix Gerald de Geoffre in August when upstaging Moyglare Stud's equally exciting 3-year-old Harbour Wind (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Chaudenay. This race has been known as the “French St Leger” and with that in mind Double Major's win represents a double for sons of Sunday Silence, as Heart's Cry's Continuous (Jpn) had taken the season's St Leger at Doncaster.
Annihilated them! Double Major delivers a remarkable performance to win the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak at @paris_longchamp… pic.twitter.com/rrJoi6LBUe
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 29, 2023
Pedigree Notes
Double Major's listed-placed dam Dancequest is also responsible for the G3 Prix de Guiche winner and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and G2 Prix Eugene Adam-placed Flop Shot (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), as well as the listed-placed Veritas (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). She is kin to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroone Plumania (GB) (Anabaa) and the G2 Prix de Royallieu scorer Balladeuse (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}), who each proved leading producers for the operation. Balladeuse was responsible for the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and this year's TDN Rising Star Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who was runner-up in the recent G3 Prix des Reservoirs, while Plumania's quartet of black-type performers are headed by the G2 Prix du Muguet scorer Plumatic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and she is also the second dam of the G1 Prix Saint Alary-placed Solsticia (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}).
Others to feature in this illustrious dynasty are the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-winning sire Falco, the G1 Prix Lupin hero and leading sire Groom Dancer, fellow sires Slew The Slewor and Tagel and the G1 Prix Vermeille-winning champion Indian Rose (Fr), the G1 Prix Ganay hero Vert Amande (Fr) and the G1 Grand Prix de Paris victor Le Nain Jaune (Fr). There is also a Japanese champion sprinter and miler in Kinshasa No Kiseki (Aus) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}). Dancequest's unraced 2-year-old filly by Lope De Vega (Ire) is named Tyra (GB), while she also has a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire) named Rooba (Ire) and a colt foal also by Lope De Vega named Vegetarien (Ire).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX ROYAL-OAK-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-29, 3yo/up, 15 1/2fT, 3:35.89, hy.
1–DOUBLE MAJOR (IRE), 128, g, 3, by Daiwa Major (Jpn)
1st Dam: Dancequest (Ire) (SP-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Featherquest (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Featherhill (Fr), by Lyphard
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Christophe Ferland; J-Maxime Guyon. €199,990. Lifetime Record: 9-4-4-0, €385,690. *1/2 to Flop Shot (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), GSW-Fr, $264,611; & to Veritas (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Skazino (Fr), 130, g, 7, Kendargent (Fr)–Skallet (Fr), by Muhaymin. (€22,000 Ylg '17 ARQOCT; €150,000 RNA HRA '19 ARQARC). O-Gousserie Racing; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €80,010.
3–Tashkhan (Ire), 130, g, 5, Born To Sea (Ire)–Tarziyna (Ire), by Raven's Pass. (€11,000 2yo '20 GOFAUT). O-Mr P Boyle; B-His Highness the Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Brian Ellison. €40,005.
Margins: 7HF, 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 3.30, 11.00, 5.70.
Also Ran: Al Nayyir (GB), Diva Donna (Fr), Galego Star (Fr), Metier (Ire), Novel Legend (Ire), Bubble Gift (Fr), Haya Zark (Fr), The Good Man (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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