By Sean Cronin
Godolphin's Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) suffered a first defeat in Deauville's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest last month and last term's G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. hero bounced back in style, under a supremely confident Mickael Barzalona, to garner Sunday's G3 Qatar Prix du Pin at ParisLongchamp. Settled off fast early fractions in seventh after breaking to the fore, the 9-10 pick made smooth headway on the bridle into contention passing the quarter-mile marker and unleashed a familiar burst once shaken up for the lead with 150 metres remaining to deny stablemate Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) by an ultimately comfortable 3/4-of-a-length.
“Earthlight is such a lovely horse with a great attitude and he showed us what we knew he was capable of today,” said Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard. “Mickael felt that he didn't have the best trip and was wide the whole way, which makes it a pretty long way round when you are going to the second winning-post here. He said that Earthlight was brave and will come on for the race. He was having a good blow afterwards, he's quite a heavy horse who needs plenty of work and plenty of racing, so that will do him good. Andre [Fabre] is confident that Earthlight could stay a mile, but options are running out at this time of year, so I would imagine that the G1 Prix de la Foret would be one of the main races that come into consideration.”
The trainer concurred, saying, “He didn't run badly in his last race, but sprinting for the first time against older horses is a a different story and not easy. Of course, he will now come back [over seven furlongs here] in the [Oct. 4 G1] Prix de la Foret.”
Earthlight is the first foal bred from G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), whose own dam Summertime Legacy (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) took the G3 Prix des Reservoirs and ran third in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. Summertime Legacy has four stakes performers to her credit, headed by G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), herself the dam of the G3 Prix de Flore second Switching (Street Cry {Ire}) and G3 Prix Chloe placegetter Flowrider (Street Cry {Ire}). Summertime Legacy is the leading performer for Zawaahy (El Gran Senor), who in turn is kin to G1 Epsom Derby hero Golden Fleece (Nijinsky) and the stakes-producing Listed Modesty H. victrix Office Wife (Secretariat). From a family featuring GI Belmont S.-winning sire Jaipur (Nasrullah) and GSW sire Be My Guest (Northern Dancer), Winters Moon has a 2-year-old filly by Dubawi (Ire) and a yearling full-sister to Earthlight and a weanling filly by Dubawi (Ire) to come.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DU PIN-G3, €56,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-13, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:17.42, gd.
1–EARTHLIGHT (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Winters Moon (Ire) (G1SP-Eng), by New Approach (Ire)
2nd Dam: Summertime Legacy (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Zawaahy, by El Gran Senor
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. €28,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Colt-Fr, G1SW-Eng & Fr, 8-7-0-0, €504,968. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tropbeau (GB), 127, f, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Frangipanni (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (60,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT; €180,000 2yo '19 ARQMA). O-Lady Bamford; B-Lord Margadale (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €11,200.
3–Manjeer (Ire), 129, g, 4, Footstepsinthesand%20(GB)#tot">Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Navajo Moon (Ire), by Danehill. (€50,000 Ylg '17 GOFORB). O-Natalie Steinmann; B-Brittas House Stud & Grange Stud (IRE); T-Carina Fey. €8,400.
Margins: 3/4, SHD, SHD. Odds: 0.90, 7.50, 92.00.
Also Ran: Spinning Memories (Ire), Pretreville (Fr), Brave Shiina (Fr), Golden Boy (Fr), Restiany (GB), Reshabar (Fr), Honey Cake (Ire), Tammani (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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