Treve reels in Flintshire at Saint-Cloud

Treve, shown defeating Flintshire to win her second Arc, mastered him again on Sunday (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com) Building on her comeback win over 10 1/2 furlongs in the Prix Corrida (Fr-G2) here May 29, Al Shaqab Racing’s Treve (Motivator) returned to upstage some of France’s premier performers in the venue’s feature Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1) on Sunday without being asked a serious question. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, the bay raced keenly in customary fashion for Thierry Jarnet tracking the pace and, after easing ahead of Flintshire (Dansili) with 300 meters remaining, was always holding him in the run to the line for a 1 1/4-length verdict. “She’s just terrific, but we’ve all known that for a long time,” trainer Criquette Head-Maarek said. “She’s a once-in-a- lifetime horse for a trainer and I’ve been the lucky one. Thierry gave her a perfect ride, as he didn’t want to give her a hard race and didn’t have to. She is on holiday now and, as we have said all year, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe ([Fr-G1] on October 4) must be her target so she will run in a trial, either the Prix Foy (Fr-G2) or Prix Vermeille ([Fr-G1] at Longchamp September 13) before trying to win it for a third time.” When she heads to post — barring accidents — for this year’s Arc, Treve will not be anything like the 14-1 on offer in 2014, with her season going as smoothly as last term’s proved tumultuous. Surprisingly beaten for the first time but not disgraced when second to Cirrus des Aigles (Even Top) on her four-year-old bow in the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) over 10 1/2 furlongs at Longchamp last April and only third in the Prince of Wales’s S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot, the bay was restored by Head-Maarek only just in time to vault to a second triumph in the autumn showcase and become only the seventh horse to win it twice.

Back among her own sex in Saint-Cloud’s Prix Corrida last time, she turned in
a reassuring display of dominance to best last year’s Prix de l’Opera (Fr-G1)
heroine We Are (Dansili) by four lengths and had ticked all the boxes leading up
to this first major test of the year.

Kept closer to the pace than has been the case in the past by Jarnet, Treve
stalked the leading trio, which included her lone-running pacemaker and the Arc
runner-up Flintshire, who was at the head of the main contenders. Allowing him
first run at the top of the straight, she never looked likely to do anything
other than beat him hollow and it may have been the fast ground that led her to
drift slightly right when sent past with 1 1/2 furlongs left. Straightened by
some light taps with the whip, she was comfortably on top at the end of a race,
which served only to further advertise her considerable talent as a peaking
five-year-old.

Harry Herbert, racing advisor to Al Shaqab Racing, was delighted with the
outcome.

“That was really exciting. It just shows she’s as good as ever or better than
ever, because it was a very impressive performance on ground that was certainly
quicker than ideal,” he said. “She was a little bit free, but Thierry got her
beautifully settled and she’s just a champion. It’s fingers crossed.
Everything’s gone well so far and it’s been a great performance by Criquette.

“We hope now the plan can be executed. We’re halfway through the plan.”

Also at Saint-Cloud, the Francois Doumen-trained Sea Calisi (Youmzain) upset
odds-on favorite Kataniya (Raven’s Pass) in the Prix de Malleret (Fr-G2).

Off the mark over 11 furlongs at Lyon-Parilly May 15, Sea Calisi was
finishing strongly when a neck second to Kataniya in Chantilly’s Prix de
Royaumont (Fr-G3) at this 12-furlong distance at the end of that month and
readily reversed that form to reward Martin Schwartz’s recent purchase. Settled
in behind that rival here as they raced in fifth and sixth early, the bay
allowed her first run on the lead but picked up with more acceleration to swamp
her passing the furlong pole and assert her influence.

“She is definitely an improving filly,” Doumen said. “This is what she had
been showing me every morning since her last race, gaining more strength and
becoming more fluent in her action. She is a fresh filly and I think she might
go for the Yorkshire Oaks ([Eng-G1] on August 20).”

Sea Calisi becomes the second stakes winner in eight days — and overall —
for second-season sire Youmzain, best known for finishing second in the Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe three times. Youmzain, who stands at the Head family’s Haras
du Quesnay, also sired the Chesham S. winner Suits You at Royal Ascot last week.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com