By Tom Frary
There as a slow-motion finish to the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines on Sunday, where Al Shaqab Racing's 3-year-old Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) gave his all to prevail in a drawn-out finale. Missing the kick a touch but able to grab the rail under Pierre-Charles Boudot, the 13-2 shot who had captured the six-furlong G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly May 13 was marginally ahead passing the two-furlong marker. After seeing off his close companion Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), the lightly-raced bay hit the line a neck in front of last year's winner Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) as Liberty Beach stayed in the mix to be a short neck away in third. “I have always held him in high esteem and since he won the group 3 nothing has gone right,” winning trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said. “Because of the pandemic, he had to miss Royal Ascot and then I had to run him over the wrong trip and I was running him today for education, as I thought next year would be his year.”
Campaigned solely over seven furlongs as a juvenile, Wooded opened his account at Deauville in August before finishing a short-head runner-up to Kenway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in the G3 Prix la Rochette here in September and third behind the Charlie Appleby-trained duo King's Command (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Royal Crusade (GB) (Shamardal) in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud the following month. After springing back to the fore in the Texanita, he was next seen finishing fourth in the G1 Prix Jean Prat back over seven at Deauville July 12 before running sixth in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest also there Aug. 9. Shortened up for the course-and-distance G3 Prix du Petit Couvert, he was runner-up to Air de Valse (Fr) (Mesnil des Aigles {Fr}) Sept. 13 and made the requisite improvement in the interim to turn that form around.
Graffard added, “I was upset, because I knew he was going to run very well in the Commonwealth Cup and there were no races for him over six furlongs over the summer. We have a nice sprinter on our hands and the only question was the ground. He is much better on fast ground and Pierre-Charles said he wasn't the same horse on soft, but I wanted to toughen him up for next year. He went on it today because he's a very good horse.”
Wooded is the second foal out of Frida La Blonde (Fr) (Elusive City), whose first was the talented G3 Sovereign S. runner-up Beat le Bon (Fr) also by Wootton Bassett. The second dam is the Listed Criterium d'Evry winner and G2 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas) runner-up Firm Friend (Ire) (Affirmed) who also produced the Listed Prix Servanne and Listed Prix Cor de Chasse scorer and G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis runner-up Fred Lalloupet (GB) (Elusive City) and another Prix Servanne winner Mon Pote le Gitan (Thunder Gulch) who was also placed in the G3 Prix de Cabourg. The third dam Cherie Amie (Fr) (Gay Mecene) is connected to the G3 Cornwallis S. and G3 Norfolk S.-winning sire Magic Ring (Ire) who was third in this race. The dam's 2-year-old filly is by Ajaya (GB), while she also has a filly by Intello (Ger) due to sell at the upcoming Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €210,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-4, 2yo/up, 5fT, :58.52, hy.
1–WOODED (IRE), 136, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Frida La Blonde (Fr), by Elusive City
2nd Dam: Firm Friend (Ire), by Affirmed
3rd Dam: Chere Amie (Fr), by Gay Mecene
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€90,000 Ylg '18 AROCT). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Gestut Zur Kuste AG (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €119,994. Lifetime Record: 9-3-3-1, €218,398. *Full to Beat Le Bon (Fr), GSP-Eng, $362,908. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Glass Slippers (GB), 133, f, 4, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O/B-Bearstone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. €48,006.
3–Liberty Beach (GB), 133, f, 3, Cable Bay (Ire)–Flirtinaskirt (GB), by Avonbridge (GB). (£16,000 RNA Ylg '18 TASAYG). O/B-Phillip Wilkins (GB); T-John Quinn. €24,003.
Margins: NK, SNK, 1. Odds: 6.50, 1.70, 10.00.
Also Ran: Lady In France (GB), Keep Busy (Ire), Air de Valse (Fr), Batwan (Fr), Make A Challenge (Ire), Sestilio Jet (Fr), Archer's Dream (Ire), Livachope (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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