By Tom Frary
Coolmore's first-season sire Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is off the mark after his son Ser Sed (Ire) captured the 5 1/2-furlong Prix Mercier for unraced juveniles at Le Lion d'Angers on Sunday evening. Professional to load and speedy from the gates, the February-foaled bay who is owned by Azeddine Sedrati and Jean-Claude Seroul was steadied to track the leading trio by Hugo Lebouc. Delivered wide in the short straight, the Joel Boisnard trainee grabbed the lead passing the furlong pole and saw off the 9-10 favourite Once Upon a Time (Fr) (Pedro the Great) to score by a neck at 4-1.
The winner is the first foal out of an unraced daughter of Lady Vettori (GB) (Vettori {Ire}), who was successful in the G3 Prix du Calvados and third in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. She bettered that in her second career, producing the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero and leading sire Lope de Vega (Ire), as well as Lady Frankel (GB), a full-sister to Lady Livonia who captured the G3 Prix de Lieurey and was third in the G1 Prix de l'Opera. Another of her daughters, the G3 Prix Andre Baboin scorer Bal de la Rose (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), in turn produced Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) who took the G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis. Also responsible for the G3 Prix de Psyche-placed Light the Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), she is the third dam of last year's Listed Prix Dahlia scorer and G3 Prix de Flore runner-up Jupyra (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) who is out of a daughter of Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire). Lady Livonia's second foal, a yearling colt, is by Light the Stars' sire. Video, sponsored by TVG.
4th-Le Lion d'Angers, €18,000, Debutantes, 4-3, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:09.40, g/s.
SER SED (IRE) (c, 2, Saxon Warrior {Jpn}–Lady Livonia {Ire}, by Frankel {GB}) Sales history: €15,000 Ylg '21 ARQOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €9,000.
O-Azeddine Sedrati & Jean-Claude Seroul; B-Gestut Ammerland (IRE); T-Joel Boisnard.
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