By Sean Cronin
'TDN Rising Star' Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) encountered G1 Prix Morny contender Ramatuelle (Justify) when hitting the board in June's G3 Prix du Bois at Chantilly and backed up a win in last month's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles at Vichy with an impressive performance and a career high in Saturday's G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville.
The 22-5 chance was steadied to race at the tail of the field and found a comfortable rhythm tracking all seven rivals through the early fractions. Making smooth headway from halfway, she quickened in impressive fashion when shaken up with 300 metres remaining and kept on strongly under urging in the closing stages to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths from British challenger Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). Last month's G3 Prix Six Perfections victrix Laulne (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was prominent throughout and finished 1 3/4 lengths back in third.
“She is a talented filly and improving with every race,” said trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. “I had some concerns today about the [very] soft ground, but she handled it beautifully. She is in the [G1] Marcel Boussac and that is a logical next step, but we also have in mind to take her to the [GI] Breeders cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.”
Pedigree Notes
Les Pavots, a private purchase from Coolmore, is the fifth of six foals and one of four scorers from as many runners produced by G3 Ballyogan S. third Sparrow (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself out of G3 Middleton S. victrix and G1 Oaks second All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). All Too Beautiful, a daughter of storied matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki), is the dam of G1 Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks placegetter Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo) and the stakes-winning sire Victory Song (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Her descendants include stakes-winning G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third So Wonderful (War Front) and stakes-winning G1 Epsom Oaks third Alluringly (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The March-foaled chestnut, who becomes the 32nd pattern-race winner for her sire, is a half-sister to G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred S. hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), dual stakes-winning G3 Gordon S. and G3 N E Manion Cup placegetter Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and a yearling colt by Camelot (GB).
Après sa victoire à Vichy dans une Listed, (@mickaelbarzalon / @GraffardRacing) rempile ce samedi à Deauville en enlevant le Prix du Calvados (Gr.2) et décroche son premier Groupe.
Ornellaia
Laulne pic.twitter.com/9AhP93crpA— Equidia (@equidia) August 19, 2023
Saturday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU CALVADOS-G2, €130,000, Deauville, 8-19, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.07, hy.
1–LES PAVOTS (IRE), 123, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Sparrow (Ire) (GSP-Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Craig Bernick & Haras d'Etreham; B-Coolmore Stud (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, €143,100. *1/2 to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), MG1SW-Aus, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $3,663,231; and Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW & GSP-Aus, SW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $192,495. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ornellaia (GB), 123, f, 2, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Namhroodah (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (260,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Dominic Ffrench Davis. €28,600.
3–Laulne (Fr), 123, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Lady Francesca (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Franklin Finance SA (FR); T-Yann Barberot. €13,650.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.40, 2.50, 2.90.
Also Ran: Les Bleus (GB), Classic Flower (GB), Eclaire La Vie (Fr), Tiffanyli (Fr), Quorate (GB). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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