À MAISONS-LAFFITTE : YUTAKA TAKE EST « GÉNIALE »
Second temps fort de cette réunion dominicale sur les bords de Seine, après le Darley Prix Robert Papin, le Prix Messidor se disputait également un tout petit comité (4 partants seulement après le forfait du Britannique Emmaus). Alors qu’on s’attendait à un duel entre Taareef, le tenant du titre de ce Groupe 3 rectiligne sur 1.600 mètres, et le « Fabre » Jimmy Two Times, véritable modèle de constance, c’est un troisième larron qui a su mener sa tâche à bien : Géniale, le bien nommé.
Issu des champions Deep Impact et Sarafina, le pensionnaire de Mikio Matsunaga ne possédait guère de titres dans son pays avant de venir tenter sa chance en France. Pour ce premier essai sans pression sur notre sol, Géniale n’hésite pas à s’emparer du commandement dès l’ouverture des stalles. À 300 mètres du but, on pense que le « Godolphin » Jimmy Two Times ne va faire qu’une bouchée du petit nippon. Mais sous la monte inspirée de Yutaka Take, Géniale fait mieux que résister et l’emporte finalement sûrement d’une demi-longueur devant le pensionnaire d’André Fabre.
Après cette victoire, tous les espoirs sont désormais permis pour la nouvelle pépite japonaise. Engagé dans dans le Prix Maurice de Gheest, Groupe 1 programmé le 5 août prochain sur les 1.300 mètres de la ligne droite de Deauville, Géniale pourrait plutôt être dirigé, une semaine plus tard, vers le Prix Jacques le Marois, autre Groupe 1 rectiligne disputé sur le mile.
Né de l’union de Deep Impact et de Sarafina, Géniale a de qui tenir ! Multiple lauréat de Groupes 1 au Japon, son père s’était vu distancé de la 3e place de l’édition 2006 du Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe pour un contrôle positif. Au haras, Deep Impact s’est également révélé comme un étalon d’exception. En 2018, le prix de sa saillie se négocie à 294.000 euros, soit 14.000 euros de plus que Dubawi.
Côté maternel, sa mère Sarafina a fait briller la casaque Aga Khan en enlevant à 3 ans les Prix Saint-Alary et de Diane. À 4 ans, elle épinglait un nouveau Groupe 1 à son palmarès avec le Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Arrivée : 4-3-5-1 (NP : 2) (fonte : Equidià)
À MAISONS-LAFFITTE (R1C2) : DEUXIÈME GROUPE 2 CONSÉCUTIF POUR SIGNORA CABELLO !
Un duel attendu ce dimanche sur l’hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte à l’occasion du Darley Prix Robert Papin (Gr.2). D’un côté la britannique Signora Cabello, seule pouliche de la course, associée à Lanfranco Dettori, lauréate le 20 juin dernier des Queen Mary Stakes (Gr.2) à Ascot. De l’autre le français Sexy Metro, vainqueur autoritaire du Prix la Flèche (Listed) début juin, pour la casaque de Gérard Augustin-Normand. Pour l’anecdote, c’est Christophe Soumillon qui lui était associé en l’absence du premier jockey “maison”, Cristian Demuro, à pied du 17 au 22 juillet inclus.
Et match il y a eu dans ce sprint sur 1100 mètres en ligne droite. Invaincu et aux limites inconnues, le favori français Sexy Metro (3)patiente au centre derrière les animateurs à savoir les anglais Signora Cabello (5) et Pocket Dynamo (4). C’est d’ailleurs Frankie Dettoriqui attaque le premier et essaye de se détacher. La réplique vient d’abord du troisième britannique True Mason (1) et encore plus à l’extérieur le protégé de Didier Guillemin. Une édition qui tient toutes ses promesses et une arrivée dans un mouchoir de poche.
Troisième succès consécutif donc ce dimanche pour Signora Cabello qui tentera bientôt de monter encore de catégorie. Frère entre autre de Birdparker, vu au niveau listed à Auteuil, Sexy Metro devrait aussi continuer sur sa lancée, qui n’a pas à rougir d’être battu aujourd’hui du minimum par un candidat aux futurs groupes 1. Le poulain de John Quinn qui pourrait participer au Prix Morny sur la même distance à Deauville le 19 août prochain où les anglais affichent une réussite exceptionnelle, vainqueurs de quatre des six dernières éditions. En faisant sien de ce classique, il imiterait ainsi sa compatriote Unfortunately qui a réussi ce doublé en 2017.
Arrivée : 5 – 3 – 1 – 4 (fonte : Equidià)
Signora Cabello justifies swerving Super Sprint as she strikes for Quinn
Report: France, Sunday
Maisons-Laffitte: Darley Prix Robert Papin (Group 2) 5½f | 2yo | Turf
John Quinn’s decision to reroute Signora Cabello from the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury on Saturday to Sunday’s Group 2 Prix Robert Papin paid off when she was driven home by Frankie Dettori.
The Queen Mary winner, who runs in the colours of Phoenix Thoroughbred and Zen Racing, held on to deny Sexy Metro, providing British trainers with their fifth straight win in the race that set Special Duty, Natagora and Divine Proportions on their way to Classic glory.
A daughter of Camacho, Signora Cabello was having her fifth outing of 2018 and she broke well, racing just off the Robert Cowell-trained Pocket Dynamo, who also had Royal Ascot form after finishing second in the Norfolk.
Dettori began to push away on her, as the Karl Burke-trained True Mason loomed alongside, knuckling down to land the £65,575 first prize and edge out Sexy Metro by a neck, with True Mason third.
That does not match the £122,925 purse Newbury’s Super Sprint offered, but Quinn was in no mood to rue what might have been.
“When they came round her, you thought, err, and she got a bit unbalanced and maybe a little bit intimidated, but when she got back on an even keel she was going away at the line,” said the trainer.
“She was very tough and there’s no-one better on the big day than Lanfranco Dettori.
“It was quick ground, but like what she’s been winning on and the track was in very good condition.”
Quinn, a Cheltenham Festival winner thanks to 2012 Triumph Hurdle ace Countrywide Flame, added: “There are no easy races in this game. It looked like she might’ve had a tremendous chance in the Super Sprint, but as you saw in it yesterday, there was barging and bumping. She’s a stakes filly and that’s where we decided to keep her and she vindicated our decision, which is great because it doesn’t always happen.”
A step up to 6f and the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on August 19 is next for Signora Cabello, which Quinn has fond memories of after winning it with The Wow Signal in 2014.
He said: “She’s in the Lowther, but if she’s as well as she was before today she’ll run in the Morny. The Wow Signal was similar to her in that they’re two very tough horses who improved with racing. He was phenomenal, but I think her performance today was very good and the second is very good. There weren’t many runners, but I’d say it was her best performance.
“It doesn’t look like six furlongs would be a problem and over five and a half today she was going away from them at the line.”
Regarding the juvenile’s prospects of developing into a Classic contender next year, Quinn said: “On what we see at the moment you’d think six is well within her compass, but the difference between six and a mile is massive, so you may be thinking more of Commonwealth Cups, but we’ll leave every option open and look after this year first.”
Prix Robert Papin result (fonte : RacingPost)
Havana Grey 10-1 for Nunthorpe after comfortable all-the-way win
Karl Burke’s classy juvenile Havana Grey calmed any fears that he may not have trained on as a three-year-old with a convincing success in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.
Last season’s Molecomb Stakes winner and Prix Morny runner-up was given a fine ride by Classic-winning jockey PJ McDonald, with the 10-1 shot earning quotes of the same price for next month’s Nunthorpe Stakes.
McDonald said: “It wasn’t really a surprise because we always knew the ability was there but for some reason or another he just wasn’t firing earlier in the year.
“It was a great training performance from Karl to get him back. I haven’t seen this horse since the last day I rode him and Lucy has been on him at home every day for the last two months so fair play to her to get him back.”
The Taghmon, County Wexford rider concluded: “Fingers crossed we can have a good end to the season now and that he can keep progressing. He should be a decent sprinter for the end of the year.”
Michael Dods’ King’s Stand Stakes third Mabs Cross was sent off the 2-1 favourite but the mount of Tom Eaves proved unable to peg back the trailblazing colt, eventually finishing third.
The eventual runner-up Caspian Prince took up his usual front-running tactics alongside Havana Grey, but perhaps didn’t scorch the turf as he has done previously, with connections believing conditions may need to be faster for him to show his best.
Trainer Mick Appleby said: “He put up a good performance and we’re happy with him. The ground probably just wasn’t quite quick enough, he needs it rattling quick.”
He added: “He’ll go for the Nunthorpe next and then come back here for the Flying Five. He’s a great servant.”
Watch Havana Grey’s victory in the Sapphire Stakes
Only fifth to Mabs Cross in the Palace House Stakes when sent off the 6-4 favourite at the beginning of the season, Havana Grey was also eclipsed by both the filly and Washington DC – who finished last of seven here – in the Temple Stakes at Haydock in May.
However, the grey toughed it out and proved he could well be a three-year-old sprinter to watch this season.
The winner of the Nunthorpe has been seen on trial in this race for the past three years (Mecca’s Angel in 2015 and 2016, Marsha in 2017) and Paddy Power reacted to the grey’s victory by cutting him to 10-1 from 16-1 for the sprint on the Knavesmire. (fonte : RacingPost)
