Hipodromos y caballos - Racetracks and horses BloodStockReview2013 | Page 45
FRANCE
that juvenile success at Saint-Cloud three
years earlier.
Maxios left Olympic Glory five lengths
adrift with the Poule d’Essai-winning
duo of Flotilla and Style Vendome even
further back in a decisive Prix du Moulin
display.
Maxios was one of three individual
Group 1 winners for the late Monsun in
France, a tally matched only by Galileo.
Monsun’s daughter Silasol landed the Prix
Saint-Alary on the same Longchamp card
as the Ispahan, while Andreas Wöhler got
Novellist’s Group 1 bandwagon rolling for
the year with victory in the Grand Prix de
Saint-Cloud.
Galileo’s flag-bearer for 2013 was
undoubtedly Prix du Jockey Club
hero Intello, who was campaigned
with flair by André Fabre and
the Wertheimer brothers. While
his sole Group 1 success came
at Chantilly, Intello also earned
plaudits for versatility, with placed
efforts over a mile in the Poule d’Essai des
Poulains and Prix Jacques le Marois, before
chasing home Treve and Orfevre in the
Arc.
Intello will now take up stud duties
at Cheveley Park for two seasons before
transferring to Haras du Quesnay.
Galileo did sire a winner on Arc day
thanks to Cadran hero Altano, and also
struck at Deauville with Romantica in the
Prix Jean Romanet for Fabre and Khalid
Abdullah. The daughter of Banks Hill then
found only Dank too good when attempting
to emulate her dam in the Breeders’ Cup
Filly and Mare Turf.
The Niarchos family enjoyed Group 1 success after a six-year hiatus with Maxios
(Prix d’Ispahan and Prix du Moulin) and Karakontie (left, Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère)
Abdullah also
enjoyed success thanks
to Flintshire, an impressive
winner of the Juddmontesponsored Grand Prix de Paris
and one to look out for on a sound surface
if, as expected, he stays in training at four.
Challenge
When Fabre finally tires of dominating the
sport in France, Mikel Delzangles might
be the man best placed to challenge for
championship honours.
Almost unthinkable among his Chantilly
Galileo’s flag-bearer for
2013 was undoubtedly Prix
du Jockey Club hero Intello
Style Vendome (yellow silks) prevails in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains for Arc-winning trainer Nicolas Clément
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brethren, Delzangles sent out Flotilla to land
the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches on her first
start of the season.
That was a maiden domestic Classic
success for Delzangles, matching the
feat of Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner
Nicolas Clément, whose triumph with
Style Vendome came the small matter of
23 years after winning the Arc with
Saumarez.
For all the success of French trainers
in securing most of their country’s richest
prizes – Britain and Ireland accounted
for just three of the 27 Group 1s on offer
courtesy of Elusive Kate, Maarek and Tac
De Boistron – the most remarkable triumph
surely belongs to Wesley Ward.
Ward became the first US trainer to
win a top French prize when No Nay Never
defeated future Group 1 heroines Vorda and
Rizeena in the Prix Morny. Moreover, he
pushed the possibilities of travelling young
horses further than anyone had previously
dared.
No Nay Never broke the course record in
Royal Ascot’s Norfolk Stakes before returning
to Florida-based Ward’s satellite operation at
Keeneland. Less than 60 days later the son
of Scat Daddy was back in Europe, receiving
the acclaim from a packed Deauville
winner’s enclosure following his Morny
triumph. t