Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, June 2, 2024, Chantilly Racecourse (Oise). – Previously unbeaten in two outings, with only one run this year due to a setback, Look de Vega (Lope de Vega) dominated a particularly competitive 184th edition of the €1.5m Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, Gr1), run over 10.5f. Bred by Haras de la Morsanglière of Joëlle Mestrallet and Écurie des Charmes of Lucien Urano, also his owners in association with trainers Carlos and Yann Lerner and Patrick Madar, the colt won by two lengths over First Look (Lope de Vega), who finished a length ahead of 3rd-placed Sosie (Sea the Stars).
The winner raced in the second tier, trailing the leaders, including the favourite Fast Tracker (Churchill) and Ramadan (Le Havre), who failed to stay the distance. Pulled out at the crucial moment by Ronan Thomas, Look de Vega accelerated sharply to keep finishers First Look, on the outside, and Sosie, on the rail, at bay. The British raider Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit) secured fourth place after struggling to get off the rail, with Mondo Man (Mondialiste) finishing strongly down the centre of the course to take fifth place.
Purchased for €160,000 privately at the Deauville sales by his trainers, Look de Vega debuted with a victory over one mile at Fontainebleau in November, winning by seven lengths. Entered in February for this Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, he returned to competition on May 5 at ParisLongchamp, winning the 1m2f Prix de Croissy by over three lengths. Thus, he remained unbeaten and presented himself here with the inside draw of 3.
His half-brother by Almanzor was sold last October at Deauville to Marc Pimbonnet for €24,000. He is now training with his buyer under the colours of Bernard Giraudon and Jean-Paul Chuzeville.
The dam, Lucelle (High Chaparral), bred by the late Lady O’Reilly, also raced under the colours of Haras de la Morsanglière and was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget. She won at three years old at La Teste, Dax, and Fontainebleau, eventually finishing fifth in the Prix Panacée (L) over 1m4f at Toulouse. She had been sold for €85,000 as a yearling to Meridian International (Ghislain Bozo) at Deauville.
Look de Vega’s sire, Lope de Vega, who also sired the second-place finisher, won the Prix du Jockey Club himself, just like Lawman, whose dam is the third dam of Look de Vega and whose sister Latice also won the Prix de Diane over this course.
font: France Galop
‘This horse is perfect’ – Look De Vega powers past Prix du Jockey Club rivals to maintain unbeaten record
Look De Vega produced a scintillating turn of foot in the final two furlongs to leave his rivals trailing in the Prix du Jockey Club and extend his unbeaten record to three under jockey Ronan Thomas.
Trained by father and son team Carlos and Yann Lerner, Look De Vega tracked the pace set by James Doyle on Fast Tracker and looked in a different league as he moved clear in the final furlong. Outsider First Look ran on to take second at 66-1 with Sosie third and Ghostwriter fourth, just in front of Diego Velazquez.
Carlos Lerner saddled Anabaa Blue to win the Classic in 2001, and Yann Lerner spoke with considerable confidence in the build-up to Sunday’s race despite the horse having only competed in two minor contests previously.
However, his confidence in the horse was understandable once the race started with Thomas poised comfortably just behind the leader. Once asked for an effort, Look De Vega was far too good as he went clear in the silks of owner-breeders Joelle Mestrallet and Lucien Urano, who co-own the colt with the Lerners and Patrick Madar.
Following his victory, bookmakers Coral cut Look De Vega to 8-1 (from 33s) for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
“This is amazing – I don’t know really what to say what I feel now,” Yann Lerner said. “I’m very pleased of the accomplishment of this horse and I was really more confident for this race than last time. Between the two races the horse improved a lot and he was very quiet today and in a very good mood.
“He was really perfect between the two races and his work ten days ago was amazing. This horse is really professional – he’s perfect.”
Look De Vega had been unsold at the sales as a yearling in 2022 with the Lerners and Madar buying into him after the auction. Speaking in the aftermath of the Prix du Jockey Club, Madar could scarcely take it all in.
“This is mad! It’s an absolutely mad day,” he said. “Ronan has given him an absolutely perfect ride and we’ve always had so much confidence in this horse even though he’s only run twice.”
font: RacingPost
