Vertical Blue (Ire)

Francis-Henri Graffard sent juvenile Group 1 winner Vertical Blue (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) through the Tattersalls ring as the penultimate Sceptre Sessions lot (1770A), and she duly made 3,200,000gns on the bid of John Stewart's Resolute Racing, bidding online. Bred by Haras du Mont dit Mont in Ireland, the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine is out of the Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Krunch (GB). Second dam Spinacre (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}) won the Listed Flame of Tara Stakes and was third in the G3 Prix Imprudence. Paul Nataf signed the ticket...

It was Francis-Henri Graffard celebrating after Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac which opened ParisLongchamp's Arc card, but not with the filly widely expected as Gemini Stud and Argella Racing's Vertical Blue (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Krunch {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) denied her much-vaunted stablemate Zarigana (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in a pulsating finish. Last seen finishing second in Lyon-Parilly's Listed Criterium de Lyon over this mile trip last month, the 32-1 shot was settled in mid-pack early enjoying crucial cover as Ballydoyle's Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) cut out the running....