By Tom Frary
It was tight at the end of Sunday's G3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly, but R.T. Racing Stable's Moon Ray (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}–Demeanour, by Giant's Causeway) had her nose in front where it mattered to provide her owners with a landmark pattern success in Europe. Having split Eternal Dance (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Lady Mia (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) when second in the Listed Prix Saraca over this seven-furlong trip and track Oct. 8, the Nicolas Clement-trained chestnut was able to turn that form around with Stephane Pasquier judging the pace perfectly.
Reserved in mid-division against the rail initially, the 5-1 shot needed an out in the straight as the front-running Lady Mia saw off all other challengers and it came in time for her to wear down that rival close home and prevail in a bobbing finish. The 9-5 favourite Eternal Dance had too much ground to make up, having taken too much time to hit top stride, and wound up half a length further away in third.
“She was a 55,000 Arqana October yearling who was a bargain–you couldn't ask for any more. She will probably return in a Guineas trial and we'll find out whether we go for the Pouliches,” Clement said of the breakthrough Euro runner for Dr Ramon Tallaj's operation. “The first three fillies in the prep were the first three here, so it shows they are consistent and tough. I'm delighted for the owner, who started with horses two years ago in New York with my brother.”
Pedigree Notes
Moon Ray, who had broken her maiden over six furlongs here Sept. 10, becomes the third individual group winner for her first-season sire and is the third black-type performer for the Swedish listed-winning dam. Demeanour's others of that kind were the Norwegian listed scorer and G3 Marit Sveaas Minnelop runner-up Swedish Dream (Fr) (Helmet {Aus}) and the G3 Silver Flash S. runner-up Moravia (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). A half to three other black-type performers including the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. Runner-up Sugar Ray (Ire) (Danehill), Demeanour is a granddaughter of the G1 Irish St Leger heroine Dark Lomond (Ire) (Lomond) whose descendants include the G2 Railway S.-winning sire Lilbourne Lad (Ire). Her yearling colt by Postponed (Ire) was a €37,000 purchase by Morten Buskop Bloodstock at the recent Arqana Deauville October auction that Moon Ray emanated from.
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX MIESQUE-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 10-30, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:29.24, sf.
1–MOON RAY (FR), 123, f, 3, by Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
1st Dam: Demeanour (SW-Swe), by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Akuna Bay, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Dark Lomond (Ire), by Lomond
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€55,000 Ylg '21 ARQOCT). O-R. T. Racing Stable; B-Team Hogdala A B & Sms Racing A B (FR); T-Nicolas Clement; J-Stephane Pasquier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, €69,550. *1/2 to Swedish Dream (Fr) (Helmet {Aus}), SW & GSP-Nor, $160,835, & to Moravia (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lady Mia (Fr), 123, f, 2, Outstrip (GB)–Mrs Micawber (GB), by Nayef. (€110,000 RNA HRA '22 ARQARC). O-Michele Cazaubon, A & G Botti, Daniel Cole & Rana Khaddam; B-D Cole, Mme V Dubos & Kleber (FR); T-Alessandro & Giuseppe Botti. €16,000.
3–Eternal Dance (GB), 123, f, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Yellow Band, by Dalakhani (Ire). O/B-Merry Fox Stud Limited (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,000.
Margins: NO, HF, SNK. Odds: 5.30, 11.00, 1.80.
Also Ran: Solaire (Fr), Onyxka (Fr), Blue Bayou (Fr), Showay (Fr), Crystallium (GB), Speedaara (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.
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