By Tom Frary
Last seen finishing runner-up in the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault at Chantilly in March, Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois and Jean-Claude Seroul's Wootton Verni (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) stepped up to land Monday's G3 Prix Greffulhe and survive a subsequent inquiry at Saint-Cloud.
Tackling 10 1/2 furlongs for the first time under Cristian Demuro, the 9-2 shot, who holds an entry in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, was anchored last of the quartet early before being launched wide of the duelling Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) to seize the advantage a furlong out. Driven out to the line, the Jérôme Andreu-trained colt who had beaten the subsequent listed scorer Trafalgar Square (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) by five lengths in a mile-and-a-quarter conditions event on Marseille Pont-de-Vivaux's all-weather in December had a neck to spare over last year's G1 Criterium International winner Sunway at the line, with TDN Rising Star Casapueblo 3/4 of a length behind in third. The latter was the sufferer of interference as the winner lugged in late, but the result was allowed to stand.
Pedigree Notes
Wootton Verni is the foal out of Vernie (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), a daughter of the unraced Persian Belle (GB) (Machiavellian) whose progeny list features three black-type performers. They are Wootton Bassett's G3 Prix des Chenes runner-up Scherzo (Fr), the smart Calvados Blues (Fr) (Lando {Ger}) who went one better in the Prix des Chenes and also took the G3 Prix de Guiche before finishing third in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, and the G2 Prix de Sandringham scorer Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who was also second in the G1 Prix Rothschild and third in the G1 Prix de Diane.
Another of Vernie's half-siblings is Opera Fan (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}), whose son No Needs Never (Ire) (No Nay Never) captured the Listed Star Appeal S. and was second in the G3 Gladness S., while another Plain Vanilla (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}) was responsible for the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air runner-up Vespera (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) who in turn produced the listed scorer Fakarava (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). Also related to the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis winner Neatico (Ger) (Medicean {GB}) and the GII Las Palmas H. scorer Beautyandthebeast (GB) (Machiavellian), Vernie's 2-year-old colt is by Le Havre (Ire) while she also has a yearling filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr).
🏆 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶 (C. Demuro) s'impose dans le Prix Greffulhe (Gr.3) à Saint-Cloud et offre un 1⃣er Groupe à son entraîneur Jérôme Andreu.
🔎 Le dernier doublé Prix du Jockey Club – Prix Greffulhe remonte à Study of Man en 2018. Rendez-vous pris le 2 juin à Chantilly! pic.twitter.com/BXzOF4bEzi
— Equidia (@equidia) May 6, 2024
Monday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX GREFFULHE-G3, €80,000, Saint-Cloud, 5-6, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:14.79, vs.
1–WOOTTON VERNI (FR), 128, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Vernie (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr)
2nd Dam: Persian Belle (GB), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Nicola Bella (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€175,000 Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois & Jean-Claude Seroul; B-T de la Heronniere & Salabi Racing (FR); T-Jérôme Andreu; J-Cristian Demuro. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-1-0, €109,700. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sunway (Fr), 128, c, 3, Galiway (GB)–Kensea (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). (€300,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Guy Pariente,Thomas Lines & Qatar Racing; B-Guy Pariente Holding SPRL (FR); T-David Menuisier. €16,000.
3–Casapueblo (Ire), 128,c, 3, Le Havre (Ire)–Uruguay (Ire), by Authorized (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. (€130,000 Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O-Godolphin SNC; B-E Puerari & Ecurie Ades Hazan (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 15. Odds: 4.40, 0.80, 2.40.
Also Ran: Cornelienne (Ire). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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