Tony Piccone

Up in trip for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois's Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}--Speralita {Fr}, by Frankel {GB}) edged another close-run affair in a French Classic in 2024. Held up at the back early by Tony Piccone, the 15-1 shot had to pass runners all quickening off a moderate tempo, but had miling speed which set her apart from her middle-distance rivals. With virtually every rival still to get by two out, the Patrice-Cottier-trained bay who had won the G2 Prix de Sandringham here a...

Placed in three group 1s including the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches prior to Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois's hard-working homebred Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}--Salicorne, by Aragorn) had her day in the sun under Tony Piccone as she conquered the summit in the ParisLongchamp feature. Always happy using the 3-5 favourite Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) as a target, the belle of the Patrice Cottier stable mastered him 150 metres from the line before asserting for a length success at 11-1, with Facteur Cheval (Ire)...

Craig Bernick and Haras d'Etreham's hitherto untested 2-year-old filly Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never--Sparrow {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) was hammered down to 5-2 favouritism at the tills for Thursday's €30,000 Prix des Closeaux at Chantilly and returned home with a 'TDN Rising Star' badge after making all for an impressive success in the straight six-furlong newcomers' test. Breaking smartly to seize an immediate lead, she was in command throughout and kept on powerfully under pressure inside the final quarter-mile to easily outclass Freville (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) by 3...

Al Asayl France's homebred 2020 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Hazel Lavery {Ire}, by Excellent Art {GB}), returning off an Oct. 15 seventh when making his fourth start in the Ascot benchmark last time, registered a hat-trick in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Altipan with a comfortable win in Thursday's latest edition of the one-mile test. It was the 8-year-old gelding's sixth success in eight outings over the track's course and distance. Settling into a smooth rhythm racing at the tail of the eight-runner field into the...

Returning to the scene of her success in the G3 Prix de Psyche Aug. 2, Moyglare Stud's Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) reaffirmed her love of Deauville by making all in Saturday's G2 Prix de la Nonette over the same 10-furlong trip. Allowed to bowl along unperturbed under Tony Piccone, the 18-1 shot had lift-off turning into the straight and her finale proved too much for her more-vaunted rivals as she powered to a two-length verdict over Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}). Extending what had been a short-neck margin to...

One of the few to welcome the ravages of the storm front, connections of Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) were celebrating after their filly made light of ParisLongchamp's conditions to win Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu. With trainer David Menuisier openly toying with the idea of supplementing for Sunday's Arc beforehand, the warning was there for opponents of Christopher Wright's bargain buy who had already demonstrated her deadliness in this ground when winning Deauville's Aug. 16 G3 Prix Minerve. Sent off the 49-10 favourite as a result, the...