“For quite a few years now, I have come here with nice horses,” said Rouget,
Ervedya was exiting a tally in the May 10 French One Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1)
“After she won the Guineas, this was my target of the year,” the trainer
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“I have trained for Prince Aga Khan since Mr. Lagardere died and when he
bought all of his operation. I was training 15 horses for Jean-Luc Lagardere and
Prince Aga Khan left the horses with me. Since then we have won the Diane
(Fr-G1) and
the Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1) and now the Poule d’Essai and the Coronation with this
filly.
“She is the best because she is the best mentally. She has the class and,
mentally, she is fantastic. I was not anxious because I knew that she could do
the best.”
Soumillon had won the 2005 Queen Anne Stakes with Valixir when Royal Ascot
was staged at York but this was his first win at a Royal Meeting at Ascot.
“For me this is great, it’s a great meeting but unfortunately I don’t have
the horses to come here with every year,” the jockey explained. “If you’re not
riding for Aidan O’Brien, Sir Michael Stoute or the late Sir Henry Cecil then
it’s hard to make it here. But I’ve had success at Ascot in the King George and
on Champions’ Day.
“I was lucky to find the gap in the middle. I knew that she maybe didn’t
handle the trip so I didn’t want to make the outside in the turn. I knew that
Aidan O’Brien’s filly (Found) today was on top of her form and she beat us last
year at the Marcel Boussac in Longchamp.
“When I saw Found in a good position, I thought it was better to stay behind
her and, actually, I think that is maybe why we won because, if I was coming 500
meters out on the outside, I am not sure that she would have quickened like she
did and stay on until the line. I knew she would give me something great at the
finishing line.”
Rouget praised Soumillon’s ability to finish aboard Ervedya, who recorded her
fourth group stakes victory and improved her career scorecard to 8-6-1-1.
“I was a bit anxious about what the pace would be like in England, compared
with France,” Rouget said. “Sometimes horses can be disorientated. She is very
good both mentally and physically and a champion. I know Christophe and his
tactic was to come at the end. The filly was very good but the jockey was pretty
good too.”
Found, now second in her two Group 1 races over a mile this season, will step
up in distance in the future. Off as the 13-8 Coronation favorite, the narrow
runner-up was exiting a a half-length defeat to Pleascach (Teofilo) in the Irish
One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1).
“She has run a stormer today,” O’Brien said, “and she’s a classy filly who
belongs at this level. Obviously, we are delighted with her run — she did
everything right and I would say that she would keep progressing. The plan was
always to have the three runs, then maybe a little rest. And after her break
I should think she’ll be going up in distance in the autumn.”
A half-length behind Found was the Jim Bolger-trained Lucida (Shamardal), who
was exiting a runner-up in the English One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) for
Godolphin.
“She was second in a Guineas and has been beaten half a length in a
Coronation,” said John Ferguson, Sheilh Mohammed’s bloodstock advisor. “A mile
is her distance and the form is there to see, and she’ll have her day.”
The American challenger, Miss Temple City (Temple City), finished a
creditable fourth.
“We were pleased with her and she was a legitimate contender,” trainer Graham
Motion said. “But there is a slight disappointment that she wasn’t closer. She
stumbled slightly leaving the gate and that lit her up a little. If she’d
settled better she might have been closer. But it’s a big thing to ask to make
the journey over. She’ll go back to the States now and prepare for the big
targets in the fall.”
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