By Tom Frary
Completing a treble of shocks on Sunday's ParisLongchamp card, Alain Jathiere and Christine Guilbert's Birthe (Ire) (Study Of Man {Ire}–Barakaat {Fr}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}) belied odds of 11-1 when upstaging her peers to take the G2 St Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary. Coming off a win in Toulouse's Listed Prix Caravelle last month, the Laura Vanska trainee who cost a mere €10,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale was settled on the rail early by Aurelien Lemaitre tracking the leading duo. Sent up the cutaway to take over approaching the furlong pole, she was driven out to beat Almara (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) by 1 1/4 lengths.
Second on debut second at Deauville in November, Birthe had won at Chantilly later that month and been third back there in March. All had come on the Polytrack prior to her listed success at Toulouse, which was staged on good-to-soft, so after the storm had softened the ground this was her first effort on easy turf. “I have only nine horses, so to have a filly like this is amazing,” Vanska. “She pulled a shoe off and took a funny step and also the rain was a problem, as we know she doesn't really like the soft ground. That's why she ran on the Polytrack earlier in the season, but she obviously can do everything now. I'm really lucky to have her and a big thankyou to the owners. We'll go to the Diane now, there is no hesitation.”
Pedigree Notes
Birthe is currently the only known foal out of Barakaat, a daughter of the listed-placed Royale Du Buisson (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who is in turn a half-sister to the G3 Prix Djebel winner Ride Like The Wind (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). The fourth dam Kostroma (Ire) (Caerleon), who captured the GI Yellow Ribbon S. and GI Santa Barbara H., produced the GI Santa Anita Oaks heroine Ariege (Doneraile Court).
Birthe looks smart scoring in the St Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary! @paris_longchamp| @lauravanska1 |@lemaitre60LA pic.twitter.com/cfpa6D131o
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 12, 2024
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
ST MARK'S BASILICA COOLMORE PRIX SAINT-ALARY-G2, €130,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-12, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:07.74, sf.
1–BIRTHE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Study Of Man (Ire)
1st Dam: Barakaat (Fr), by Lope De Vega (Ire)
2nd Dam: Royale Du Buisson (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
3rd Dam: Biswa, by Kafwain
1ST GROUP WIN. (€10,000 Ylg '22 GOFAUT). O-Alain Jathiere & Christine Guilbert; B-Sabah Mubarak Al Sabah (IRE); T-Laura Vanska; J-Aurelien Lemaitre. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, €129,850. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Almara (Fr), 126, f, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Molly Mara (Ger), by Big Shuffle. (€10,000 Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O/B-Zied Ben M'Rad (FR); T-Carlos & Yann Lerner. €28,600.
3–Survie (Ire), 126, f, 3, Churchill (Ire)–Sotteville (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire). O-Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Franklin Finance SA (IRE); T-Nicolas Clement. €13,650.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 10.00, 7.90, 7.00.
Also Ran: Dare To Dream (Fr), War Chimes (Fr), Making Dreams (Ire), Cashanda (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
