In a wipe-out of the domestic team, Saint-Cloud’s Group 1 Criterium
International was dominated by the British raider Vert de Grece, who slammed his
compatriot Johnny Barnes with the German raider Sherlock bringing up the
overseas trifecta.
Keen early in fourth under Umberto Rispoli, the 4-1 second choice stayed wide
of the stand’s side hedge as the 6-5 favorite Alea Iacta led the field over
there in a repeat of the tactic employed when she was successful in the Prix
Thomas Bryon. Whereas on that occasion, Kirsten Rausing’s filly dominated the
race alone up the straight, she had all rivals baying for blood here and it was
clear passing the quarter pole that she would be unable to shake them off.
As stamina came into play, Vert de Grece was the strongest. After striking
the front approaching the furlong pole, Roger Varian’s new recruit drew away for
an emphatic four-length success from Johnny Barnes, with Sherlock three-quarters
of a length behind in third and Alea Iacta fading to be fifth.
Formerly campaigned by John Joseph Murphy, the gray followed a debut second
to the subsequent listed winner Convergence over seven furlongs at Leopardstown
June 6 with a win over the same track and trip August 7 before running second to
Gleneagles in the Curragh’s Futurity again over that distance last time August
24. Marking his debut for the Varian stable with a commanding performance in
these prevalent testing conditions, he added further ballast to the reputation
of his Curragh conqueror, who was so controversially taken down by the stewards
after the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
“I talked to Mr. Varian last night and he said he didn’t know him very well
as he hadn’t had him long, but that he was doing good and would love the
ground,” his rider said. “I was very impressed with him and he has a nice future
ahead of him.”
Varian added, “He hasn’t been with us long, but he is a straightforward colt
and we had been pleased with him in the build-up to the race. The step up to a
mile has really suited and he has handled the soft surface well.”
Vert de Grece’s third dam is the Irish One Thousand Guineas winner Trusted
Partner, the dam of Matriarch winner Dress to Thrill.
Also at Saint-Cloud Thursday, the well-bred Fate notched her first stakes
victory in a three-way photo in the Group 3 Prix de Flore.
During her truncated career so far, the Alain de Royer-Dupre mare had looked
to be building steadily towards the pattern-race win her pedigree demanded as a
half-sister to the luminary Pride. Second in the Prix Corrida over this track
and 10 1/2-furlong trip in spring 2013, the homebred was next seen winning a
conditions event over 10 furlongs at Longchamp April 30, but went missing again
following a last-of-12 effort in the latest renewal of the Corrida May 23.
A latest third behind Sparkling Beam in the Prix Dahlia over 10 furlongs here
last time October 9, the bay was held up in rear with only one behind early and
delivered a surge up the center of the track to join the rail-running Sparkling
Beam on the front end with just over a furlong remaining. Her chief danger
proved to be the late charger Bocaiuva, but she found the line in the nick of
time to prevail in the blanket finish.
“She doesn’t run very often, but each time she runs well,” jockey Stephane
Pasquier commented. “She is a very good filly in her own right and there was a
good pace here, so I was not worried to be that far back. When I asked her, she
responded well and was very courageous to the line.”
Fate is also a half-sister to the dam of One Thousand Guineas winner
Speciosa.
German raider Flamingo Star captured the Group 3 Prix Perth.
As the winner of the 2012 Herzog Von Ratibor-Rennen at Krefeld, Flamingo Star
held genuine classic pretensions for last term, but following a second in the
Bavarian Classic at Munich beat only one rival when 18th in the Deutsches Derby
at Hamburg last summer.
Ironically, it was Prix de Flore heroine Fate who was in front when he was
fifth on his return in that Longchamp conditions event April 30 before
eventually getting back in the winner’s spot in a handicap over 8 1/2 furlongs
at Dusseldorf August 3. Fourth behind Godolphin’s subsequent multiple group
scorer Fractional in another Longchamp conditions race over this trip at the
start of September, he made all to register an authoritative success in the
Grosser Preis der Landeshauptstadt Dusseldorf last time October 5.
Re-applying that tactic here, Flamingo Star stayed toward the center of the
track up the straight and warded off the threat of Visoriyna inside the final
300 meters before finding extra to assert close home.
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