Make Believe tops Fabre exacta in Poulains; Ervedya too
good in Pouliches
Even the most ardent Andre Fabre fan would have struggled to suggest that
Make Believe (Makfi) brought top-class form into Sunday’s Poule d’Essai des
Poulains (Fr-G1) at Longchamp, but the undisputed maestro of French training yet
again produced some classic magic as Prince Faisal’s representative made
virtually all to score by three lengths.
Losing his unbeaten record on his black-type debut when second to Ride Like
the Wind (Lope de Vega) in the Prix Djebel (Fr-G3) over seven furlongs at
Maisons-Laffitte April 2, the bay looked to have something to find after that
rival went to Newmarket and flopped in the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1).
Demonstrating Fabre’s unceasing innate skill at fostering large improvement from
his charges, the 6-1 shot was in a league of his own throughout under a
masterful front-running ride from the similarly accomplished Olivier Peslier.
In leading home his badly drawn stablemate New Bay (Dubawi) for a stable
one-two, Make Believe was extending his conditioner’s record of Poulains winners
to six.
“The better ground made all the difference,” commented his trainer in
reference to his defeat in testing ground at Maisons-Laffitte. “He is very nice
— a proper colt.”
Make Believe, who is one of only three horses in training in France for
Prince Faisal along with useful stable companions Eternal (New Approach) and
Arctic Gyr (Invincible Spirit), was bought as a foal when his owner was in
attendance at the Tattersalls December Sales. Raised on the former Gerald
Leigh-owned Eydon Hall, the close relative of the high-class Dubawi Heights
became an early apple of Fabre’s eye, but the trainer took it steady initially.
After beating the smart Sinfonietta (Sinndar) on debut over 7 1/2 furlongs at
Deauville in late October, he overcame heavy ground to follow up over the same
trip at Saint-Cloud the following month before entering winter quarters as
another exciting prospect to grace his illustrious stable. Unlike his sire, Make
Believe failed to win the Prix Djebel on his reappearance but was swooped on
late by Ride Like the Wind and was unable to react quickly over a seven-furlong
trip that may have been on the sharp side.
Taking full advantage of his favorable low draw to take up the running after
the first 100 meters of this prize, Make Believe was allowed to roll at a
comfortable pace by Peslier and it was clear turning for home that he was still
well within himself. Clinching the win with a decisive kick two out, he was
given four half-hearted smacks to secure a comfortable success from the race’s
hard-luck story New Bay. That fast-improving Juddmonte homebred overcame a wide
draw to gallop on strongly from rear and wear down Mr Owen (Invincible Spirit)
late on, catching the eye, with the May 31 Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-G1) in mind.
Fabre is keen to keep the first two apart for now and said, “At this stage, I
want to keep Make Believe at a mile so the French Derby is unlikely. I will
speak to the owner of course, but he is more likely to go to Royal Ascot for the
St James’s Palace S. ([Eng-G1] June 16). New Bay ran a fantastic race from his
draw and is an improving horse. He will probably stay further, so he will now go
to the Jockey Club.”
Ballydoyle’s strongly supported 27-10 favorite Highland Reel (Galileo) failed
to make a meaningful impact on the race and after racing freely early without
cover plugged on to be sixth.
Make Believe is a first-crop classic winner for his classic-winning sire
Makfi, who took the 2010 Two Thousand Guineas. After starting out at Tweenhills
Stud in Britain Makfi is standing the 2015 season as Haras de Bonneval in
France. Makfi also shuttles to Westbury Stud in New Zealand where he has enjoyed
early success with the Group 1-winning juvenile Marky Mark.
The Aga Khan’s Ervedya (Siyouni) was undermined by her wide draw in 12 in a
race that is always heavily biased by post position, but the filly just had more
class than her rivals, and that ultimately told in Sunday’s Poule d’Essai des
Pouliches (Fr-G1) at Longchamp.
At the top at two, the homebred was so impressive in the Prix Imprudence
(Fr-G3) over seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte April 2 that it seemed possible
that last year’s Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-G1) runner-up had improved over the
winter, and she was hammered into 13-10 despite the misgivings of the draw.
Christophe Soumillon knows enough to not panic in such a situation and with his
mount’s potent turn of foot in mind, delivered her with accuracy to swoop on the
35-1 outsider Irish Rookie (Azamour) in the last 150 meters and score.
“She has all the qualities — class, speed, is easy to train and to ride and
also goes on any ground,” trainer Jean-Claude Rouget commented. “She got the
perfect trip and deserved that Group 1.”
One of the rare Aga Khan juvenile representatives to display sprinting speed
early on in the campaign, Ervedya captured her first two races at Tarbes in May
and Maisons-Laffitte in June before making light work of keeping her unbeaten
sequence running in the six-furlong Prix de Cabourg (Fr-G3) at the start of
Deauville’s August festival. Third behind the powerful colts The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner)
and Hootenanny (Quality Road) in the Prix Morny (Fr-G1) there later that month,
the homebred received a poor draw in the Prix Marcel Boussac over this track and
trip on the Arc card and may have been used up too early before “TDN Rising
Star” Found (Galileo) swooped late.
On her return in the Imprudence, Ervedya served notice that she would be a
force to be reckoned with in whichever Guineas she was sent to when swamping the
Prix Miesque (Fr-G3) winner Ameenah (American Post) and Prix du Calvados (Fr-G3)
scorer Queen Bee (Le Havre) in a display of raw talent on easy ground.
Keen early here having been inevitably exposed by her draw, she was helped by
a sound pace as she stayed anchored in rear with main market rival Mexican Gold
(Medaglia d’Oro) just ahead. At the top of the stretch, it looked conceivable
for a brief period that Criquette Head-Maarek could be on to an eighth edition
as her representative Fontanelice (Vale of York) kept turning the screw in
front, but last Sunday’s One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) sixth Irish Rookie became
the new target as she cut loose with 300 meters remaining.
Delivering her surge out wide along with Mexican Gold, Ervedya had the extra
measure of dash required to reel in the British raider 150 meters from the post
and secure a third renewal and second straight for Jean-Claude Rouget. Her
trainer is keen to stick to a mile for now.
“We’ll wait and see how she comes out of this, but at this stage I am keen to
go to Royal Ascot for the Coronation S. ([Eng-G1] on June 19),” Rouget said.
Irish Rookie rewarded the bold decision of Martyn Meade to run her back just
a week after finishing sixth in the Guineas at Newmarket, and her trainer was
understandably delighted with her effort.
“I am thrilled to bits and it’s such a shame she had to go so early, because
she is such a battler,” he told the Racing Post. “If someone had taken
her on earlier, it might have been a different matter but she has still run a
great race. She is still a little bit inexperienced, as it’s only her fourth
race and it was her first time away from Newmarket and around a bend. She loved
that bit of cut in the ground and she has run a cracker.”
Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said of Mexican Gold, “She
has run a good race and enjoyed a good trip, but we are not certain she stayed
the mile so we will have to see where she comes back.”
Also at Longchamp, Fabre won his eighth renewal of the Prix Hocquart (Fr-G2),
a trial for the French Derby, with Ampere (Galileo).
The Haras de Saint Pair homebred had looked a colt with a bright future when
surging to a 2 1/2-length success in a conditions race over this course and
11-furlong distance April 9. Whether he is another Hurricane Run, who annexed
this contest in his third start, remains to be seen, and he has a long way to go
to match that criteria on the basis of this performance, but he is now
two-for-two and managed to see off a Ballydoyle raider in Cape Clear Island (Fastnet
Rock) who may still be improving.
Settled in fourth of the five runners initially, Ampere was traveling easily
straightening for home but looked held temporarily as Cape Clear Island took the
lead off Canndal (Medicean) with a quarter-mile remaining. Responding to Mickael
Barzalona’s increasingly urgent requests, Ampere battled gamely to overhaul his
only serious rival in the last 100 meters and extend his conditioner’s record.
“He is a late-maturing horse who will stay very well,” Fabre commented. “The
Grand Prix de Paris ([Fr-G1] at Longchamp July 14) is where I would choose to go
and I’d like to keep him fresh for that. I would pass on the Prix du Jockey
Club, but I will have to discuss it with his owner.”
And in the Prix de Saint-Georges (Fr-G3), speedster Mecca’s Angel (Dark
Angel) opened her four-year-old campaign with a two-length victory.
Mecca’s Angel broke through for a first black-type rosette when impressing in
the September 10 Scarborough S. at Doncaster, and closed last term with an
equally taking performance in the World Trophy (Eng-G3) at Newbury. The gray was
well away from an outside gate and raced in the firing line from the outset of
this seasonal bow. Showing a smart turn of foot to seize control approaching the
final eighth, she was soon clear and ran on strongly in the closing stages to
easily enhance her burgeoning portfolio.
“She is a very good filly and had a very good season last year,” commented
trainer Michael Dods. “At one stage, we considered the Prix de l’Abbaye (Fr-G1),
but the ground was too quick and, when I walked the course this morning, it also
looked on the fast side. I decided it was safe so let her take her chance and
she quickened nicely and won really well. We’ll see what we do next, but the
ground is a factor. The (October 4) Abbaye is definitely on the agenda later
on.”
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