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Ervedya edges Found in Coronation
"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." Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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