Baltic Baroness reigns in Prix Vermeille; Ruler of the World, Ectot join Arc picture
Baltic Baroness handed defending champion Treve her third straight defeat this year when taking the Group 1, €350,000 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Sunday.
Steadily progressive this term without hinting that she could win a race of this status, the filly nevertheless hails from the Andre Fabre stable, and France's long-time dominant figure once again worked his magic.
Keen while racing early on the front end under Maxime Guyon, the bay miss was handed the lead soon after from Pomology and granted the ideal gap down on the rail as that leader drifted off a true line with 300 meters remaining. Overhauling the previously unbeaten British raider rival a furlong later, Baltic Baroness dug in for the win as the expected overdrive of Treve failed to kick in.
Last year's winner never looked entirely comfortable, as she had in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot when last seen, and stayed on at one pace.
"She is a nice filly who has been improving, but she's not in the Arc so I'll have to speak to the owner," Fabre explained about Baltic Baroness. "She is also ground-dependant, as she needs it at least good and we don't know how it will ride in three weeks' time. It could be the Breeders' Cup, but I'll talk to the owner."
Treve's trainer Criquette Head-Maarek refused to rule out a defence of Treve's crown in the Arc.
"I think she ran a good race, as she was missing training and obviously needed the run," she said. "She came a bit wide and was hanging late on. It is a little firm, but not that firm and there is a lot of grass so that is not an excuse. I keep the faith and would (like) to see her at the start at the Arc and I hope Sheikh Joaan will let me run her."
Booking a classic ticket with a win in Saint-Cloud's Prix Cleopatre going 10 1/2 furlongs in May, Baltic Baroness beat only one rival when 10th behind Treve in the Prix de Diane over that trip at Chantilly in June, and was seen only once more in 2013 when fourth in the Prix de Royallieu tried over 12 1/2 furlongs at Longchamp in October.
There were early clues this season that Fabre still believed in the Gestut Ammerland homebred as he took her down the Prix d'Harcourt-Prix Ganay route, but she could manage only fourth and sixth placings, respectively, in those two 10-furlong contests at this track in the space of three weeks in April. Meeting traffic when an unlucky fifth in the Prix Corrida back over the Cleopatre track and trip on May 23, her trainer opted for two confidence boosts over 10 furlongs, and the Shamardal four-year-old duly regained the winning thread in the June 25 Grand Prix de Compiegne and Maisons-Laffitte's Prix de la Pepiniere on July 20.
Baltic Baroness's second dam is Deutsches Derby heroine Borgia while her third dam, Britannia, won the Deutsches St Leger.
Last year's Epsom Derby hero Ruler of the World came back into the Arc picture off a lengthy absence and ended up making a huge impression to provide Frankie Dettori with a timely fillip in the Group 2, €130,000 Prix Foy one race after the Vermeille.
Sent straight to the front in an unexpected move, the Galileo bay -- who had been off since finishing 13th in the March 29 Dubai World Cup at Meydan -- toyed with his rivals and, when kicking clear in early straight, was quickly beyond reach.
Still relatively lightly-raced, Ruler of the World is certain to progress for this re-introduction as he did 12 months ago when following a second in the Prix Niel and seventh in the Arc with a third in Ascot's Champion Stakes for trainer Aidan O'Brien.
Al Shaqab's Racing Advisor Harry Herbert is of that opinion.
"This is another bullet to fire in the Arc and is a great training performance from Aidan," he said. "It was also a superb ride from Frankie and he's obviously back to his best and will come on for that."
"Aidan left it to me, but he said the key thing is he stays a mile and a half well so don't let it turn into a French sprint," added Dettori, who is off Treve but now has a leading contender to partner. "Going to the start, he was very willing and in the last three furlongs I made sure we were running and he's a very good horse and an honor for me to ride. I would say that with a bit of cut in the ground, he'll be even better."
"He has run well and is obviously much better on this faster ground, but was a little bit rusty and was blowing afterwards," Khalid Abdullah's Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented after Flintshire stayed on for second. "He will improve, so we'll talk about the Arc."
Ruler of the World, a half-brother to five-time Group 1 winner Duke of Marmalade, hails from the potent sire-producing family of A.P. Indy, Summer Squall and Lemon Drop Kid.
Like Ruler of the World, Ectot put himself back into Arc consideration when victorious in the Group 2, €130,000 Prix Niel earlier on Longchamp's Sunday program.
Not seen since winning the April 13 Prix de Fontainebleau going a mile at Longchamp, the Hurricane Run sophomore gave a hint of the monster he could yet be here when staking a valid claim to the Arc in three weeks' time.
France's premier juvenile of 2013 after wins in the Prix des Chenes over a mile of this circuit in September and the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in November, the imposing bay continued the thread in his return when beating subsequent Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) winner Karakontie in the Fontainebleau, which acts as that classic's traditional prep.
Injured soon after and forced to sit out the summer Classics, Ectot entered Sunday's course-and-distance prep for the main showcase with healthy vibes surrounding him while sporting the Al Shaqab Racing silks after that operation had bought a half share.
Anchored in last early by Gregory Benoist, the free-runner made effortless progress down the outer in early stretch and rolled to the front with his rider still motionless passing the quarter-pole. Shaken up soon after, Ectot appeared to idle as Teletext closed in and gave extra when that rival came to his flanks.
For the winning jockey, the result created a quandary, as he also has Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) and Prix de Diane (French Oaks) heroine Avenir Certain to consider in the main event. In a week when Dettori received the news that he was jocked off Treve, the Italian may be looking at that as a blessing if Benoist opts for the filly and leaves the ride on Ectot free.
"It's a great relief, as I felt some pressure," trainer Elie Lellouche said. "I knew he was training and doing well, but there is always a concern about the distance. He erased all doubts about that in great style and he really is a top-class horse. Maybe he moved a bit too early, but I didn't want him to be boxed in so the jockey did well. Obviously, in the last 100 yards he blew up and showed he needed the race and that is to be expected after such a long lay-off. He will definitely come on a lot for that and will be back in three weeks' time."
"That was amazing," added Al Shaqab's Racing Advisor Harry Herbert. "We are blessed to have this horse with all his potential. He is obviously very good, goes on any ground and he's been off a long time. This is almost a bonus, as he has to improve considerably and he is certainly a force to be reckoned with."
"He has run a great race and I just wish the ground had been like that on the day of the Grand Prix de Paris, but that's history now," Pascal Bary said of runner-up Teletext. "He will not run in the Arc, as he is supposed to go to Saudi Arabia now."
If there was a hard-luck story in the race, it was the strong-finishing Adelaide, who had been temporarily caught in a pocket as the winner glided down the outer.
Also of significance at Longchamp on Sunday was the Group 1, €450,000 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, which was captured by Charm Spirit.
Thierry Jarnet was quick to utilize his mount's early speed to gain a perfect spot in third against the rail and he settled into an easy rhythm tracking the outsider Mogadishio with Toronado placed handily on his outer. As the leader began to falter in the straight, a dream seam opened up on the fence and Charm Spirit was through without hesitation to join with the Queen Anne hero with 300 meters remaining.
Forging a short lead soon after, he dug in to hold Toronado at bay as that rival's stablemate, Guineas winner Night of Thunder, stayed on into third.
"This is a very good colt and with four group wins from five starts this year his record speaks for itself," trainer Freddie Head stated. "He was fresh from a break after the Jean Prat, but had trained very well in the lead-up. He is a fighter and the kind that never wins by far, but he gets the job done."
"Both have run good races; maybe Toronado was a bit too handy, but we feared that there would be a lack of pace. Night of Thunder is coming back to his best, so we'll discuss where they go with all involved," trainer Richard Hannon said of Toronado and Night of Thunder.
Off the mark in a conditions event going seven furlongs at Longchamp in September, Charm Spirit was third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere back over the same course and distance on Arc day before returning to capture Maisons-Laffitte's Prix Djebel again at that distance on April 3.
While Head believed he had strong claims for victory in the May 3 Two Thousand Guineas, the bay son of Invincible Spirit was a respectable fifth in a strong renewal of the Newmarket classic before returning to his native country to annex the Prix Paul de Moussac going a mile at Chantilly on June 7.
That serves as a prep for the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly over the same course and distance, and Charm Spirit duly followed up in that Bastille Day highlight. Despite winning with something in hand there, it appeared that the sophomore had plenty to prove taking on Toronado, but his astute trainer was in bullish mood as he prepared him for Sunday's race.
"I don't think he'll go to the Breeders' Cup this year -- if he stays in training, maybe he will next year and I might think about the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (at Ascot on October 18) instead," Head said.
Longchamp featured a pair of Group 3s on the undercard to both begin and wrap up the group action on Sunday.
Mirza kicked off Sunday's card by winning the €80,000 Prix du Petit Couvert after dead-heating in the race 12 months ago. Joining Caspian Prince up front after the first call, he was pushed into a clear advantage approaching the furlong marker and held his compatriot Move in Time for the landmark success.
Only joined in the last strides by Dibajj, the Oasis Dream gelding emulated his dam Millyant, who also collected two editions of this prize in 1994 and 1995.
Demonstrating his enjoyment of the cross-channel hop when winning the July 31 Prix du Cercle going five furlongs at Deauville, Mirza prepped for this mission with a creditable second in the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes at that East Yorkshire venue on August 30.
"He has a pretty good record now and has got stronger with age," trainer Rae Guest said. "He handles good or good-to-firm ground now, whereas he couldn't in the past and all being well he'll back in three weeks' time for the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye."
Bathyrhon completed the group competition by taking the €80,000 Prix Gladiateur. The Monsun four-year-old tracked a decent early pace in fourth as High Jinx pointed his toe up front. Still moving conspicuously well in midfield as the runners straightened for home, the bay quickened well to lead at the eighth-pole and stayed on strongly to land France's oldest flat race, and a career high, in good style.
Bathyrhon hit the board in the May 9 Prix Bedel at Lyon-Parilly, ran fifth in the June 1 Grand Prix de Chantilly and hit the board again when tackling a 10-panel conditions heat back at that venue in his penultimate go on July 17. The Pia Brandt trainee wasn't beaten far when last of four in the August 24 Prix Kergorlay at Deauville in his first attempt over an extended trip last out.