Chantilly

As Covid travel restrictions prompted delays and relocations, last season's breeze-up sales were anything but plain sailing for many consignors. Some consolation was found on Thursday at Chantilly for Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud, who celebrated two first-time-out winners with Keeneland yearling purchases. The first race of the day, the Prix du Rond du Manege, went to Bellharbour Music, a May-foaled colt from the first crop of Mshawish, bought in September 2019 from Brookdale Sales for $30,000. Now trained in Chantilly by Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti, Bellharbour Music is still...

Ralph Beckett trainee Lullaby Moon (GB) (Belardo {Ire) bagged two of her first three outings before hitting the board in Ayr's Sept. 19 G3 Firth of Clyde Fillies' S. and broke through for a first black-type success in Redcar's Oct. 3 Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy last time. Sent postward as the 11-10 odds for Saturday's G3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly, she overcame a troubled passage to justify favouritism and earn a career high in the seven-furlong contest. The eventual winner was swiftly into stride and on the lead early, but was...

Plainchant (Fr) (Gregorian {Ire}), who registered a May 17 debut third tackling five furlongs at La Teste de Buch, broke through over six furlongs back there in June and followed up with a first black-type score there once more in the July 26 Listed Criterium du Bequet. Narrowly defeated over six in Deauville's Aug. 22 G3 Prix du Calvados, she returned with a five-length triumph in Chantilly's Sept. 18 G3 Prix Eclipse and returned to that Paris venue to make all for a career high in Saturday's G2 Criterium de...

Fresh from victory in last month's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage going one mile at Deauville, His Highness The Aga Khan's Makaloun (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}) was in no mood to relinquish his perfect record and dominated all seven rivals in Monday lunchtime's G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly. He had debuted with a June 12 seven-furlong tally at Toulouse and doubled up over the same trip in a July 15 conditions heat at Mont-de-Marsan in his penultimate start. Breaking well to lead after the initial strides of...

Friday, Chantilly, France PRIX ECLIPSE-G3, €56,000, Chantilly, 9-18, 2yo, 6fT, 1:08.48, g/s 1--PLAINCHANT (FR), 121, f, 2, by Gregorian (Ire)                 1st Dam: Nadinska (GB), by Doyen (Ire)                 2nd Dam: Funny Girl (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)                 3rd Dam: Just For Fun (Fr), by Lead On Time 1ST GROUP WIN. (€3,000 RNA Wlg '18 ARDEC; €5,000 Ylg '19 AROCT). O-Alain Jathiere, Maurizio Guarnieri & Sauro-Andrea Fiordelli; B-EARL Elevage des Loges (FR); T-Maurizio Guarnieri; J-Valentin Seguy. i28,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, €77,900. The very fast and now Group 3 winner 2-year-old...

   Back in her comfort zone after a latest second in the seven-furlong G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville on Aug. 22, Alain Jathiere, Maurizio Guarnieri and Sauro-Andrea Fiordelli's Plainchant (Fr) (Gregorian {Ire}) was in dominating mood in Friday's G3 Prix Eclipse at Chantilly. Blazing the trail from the outset with the emphasis on speed over a furlong shorter, the bay strained the arms of Valentin Seguy throughout and by halfway had all rivals covered. Clear in the closing stages, the 13-5 second favourite was eased late to record an...

Despite his achievements to date, there is still a sense that TDN Rising Star Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is a case of still waters running deep. Looking for another win at the highest level to complement his G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains success of 2019, he found it coming to him relatively easy in Sunday's G1 Prix d'Ispahan at Chantilly. Shadowing the vastly-improved British raider Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) straining Pierre-Charles Boudot's reins initially, the 9-10 favourite was allowed to stride to the front approaching the two-furlong pole to...

Sixth when making his debut as The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) took the honours in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot June 19, Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) had made enough strides in the interim to reverse that form and cause an upset in Sunday's G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly. Coming back to six furlongs having finished fifth in Newmarket's G2 Superlative S. over seven July 11, Middleham Park Racing's bay broke sharply to lead against the rail under Christophe Soumillon. Tackled by The...

Andre Fabre trainee Harajuku (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) went postward at generous odds of 23-5 for Sunday's Prix de la Butte Blanche at Chantilly and came home in style to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status in the seven-furlong maiden heat for fillies. She was well away to occupy a handy slot in third before improving to go second at halfway in this debut. Looming large on the bridle off the home turn, Harajuku eased to the fore approaching the quarter-mile marker and was not for catching thereafter, running on powerfully...

Aidan O'Brien has yet to win the G1 Prix de Diane Longines and son Donnacha has the jump on him in his first season training after Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) battled to glory in Sunday's Chantilly Classic. Runner-up but the major eye-catcher in the June 13 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, Michael Tabor's second-string behind the winner of that Classic Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was always close to the pace set by the G1 Coronation S. heroine Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}). Gaining the...

G1 Prix du Jockey Club DAWN INTELLO (FR) (Intello {Ger}-Gadalka, by Giant's Causeway) The dual winner Dawn Intello, who makes the jump to pattern company here, was offered by Montaigu at Arqana's October Yearling Sale in 2018, where he was picked up by Rabbah on behalf of Jaber Abdullah for €57,000. The unplaced dam is a daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Sulk (Ire) (Selkirk), the half-sister to American champion and dual Grade I winner Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB}). B-V Timoshenko FANTASTIC SPIRIT (FR) (Charm Spirit {Ire}-Fantastic Cuix...

There was an unwelcome twist on Thursday for connections of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King (Fr) (Camelot) as the draw for Saturday's £500,000 G1 241st Investec Derby imposed a widely-perceived "hoodoo" on Bjorn Nielsen's bay. Ante-post favourite for Epsom's Blue Riband, he will have to depart from the dreaded stall one after heading a field of 16 declarations. Qatar Racing's G1 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (Kitten's Joy) has been allocated gate 11, historically a far more favourable position which gives Oisin Murphy options from the break. Aidan...