Havana Gold, coming off a fourth-place effort in the Irish Two Thousand
Guineas, lived up to his early promise with a late-running victory in Sunday’s
Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.
Ridden by Mickael Barzalona to gain a pitch in mid-division as the early
stages were marked by scrimmaging for position, the sophomore tracked San Marino
Grey in early stretch as Thierry Thulliez on Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner
Style Vendome attempted to keep him in a pocket. Traveling too strongly to be
boxed in, Havana Gold swooped in the final 100 meters and steadily asserted from
the former as the Wertheimers’ pacemaker Mondialiste held on to third spot.
“He deserved that, as he’s a very consistent horse, and a good one, too,”
Richard Hannon Jr. said. “The Irish Guineas was a strange race and maybe not his
true form, but he won well here, and we’re convinced he will stay farther, so we
are tempted to try him over a mile and a quarter.”
Havana Gold showed instant promise when scoring over six furlongs on debut at
Newmarket last June before following up in a seven-furlong conditions event at
Ascot the following month. On his next start, the bay was comfortably clear of
Style Vendome when Ryan Moore’s saddle slipped in the closing stages of the Prix
Francois Boutin at Deauville in August, and he quickly gained recompense when
taking the Ascendant Stakes over a mile at Haydock in early September.
Kept busy when annexing the Somerville Tattersall and finishing second in the
£500,000 Tattersalls Millions Two-Year-Old
Trophy over seven furlongs at Newmarket soon after, he was put firmly in his
place by stable companion Toronado when second again in that venue’s Craven back
at a mile April 18. His run in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp May
12 was an eye-catching one, as he lost lengths at the start and looked to have
the race won late on, only to be swamped near the line to be fifth. Just 13 days
later, he was at the Curragh to be fourth in a strong renewal of the Irish Two
Thousand Guineas, from which the winners of the Jersey (Gale Force Ten), Irish
Derby (Trading Leather) and International Stakes (Flying the Flag) have emerged.
On the Jean Prat undercard, Vedeux sped to a front-running success in the
Group 3 Prix du Bois for juveniles, and Sparkling Beam bounced back in the Group
3 Prix Chloe for three-year-old fillies.
Vedeux got off the mark over this five-furlong trip on heavy ground on debut
at Maisons-Laffitte May 31, and followed up in straightforward manner here to
open his black-type account in this early staging post for the French juveniles.
Quickly away, the bay was soon in front under Marc Lerner and had too much dash
and was too professional for his rivals late on.
“He had won very nicely at Maisons-Laffitte, and so we liked his chances and
knew he was potentially a nice horse,” part-owner Pierre Hoze explained. “I
don’t like to over-race my two-year-olds, and so although it is a possibility
that he could go for the Prix Robert Papin (at Maisons-Laffitte July 21), he
might go straight for the Prix Morny (at Deauville August 18).”
Sparkling Beam was the victim of serious trouble in running when last of
seven in the Prix de Sandringham over a mile here last time June 2. But she made
amends after enjoying a straightforward trip on Sunday.
Showing early dash to gain a prominent pitch behind the leading trio, the bay
was traveling clear best passing the quarter-pole and after seizing the
advantage there surged clear to record an emphatic success.
“Last time she was terribly unlucky and it was a nightmare,” trainer Jonathan
Pease commented. “This is more what she is capable of and she will maybe come
back to a mile for the Prix Rothschild (at Deauville July 28).”
The George Strawbridge homebred had placed second in both the Grand Criterium
de Bordeaux over a mile in October and Prix Delahante over nine furlongs at
Marseille-Borely in November, but had made a leap forward in the Sandringham
despite her luckless passage through that race.
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