DEJA VU
Two years after the Haras de la Cauviniere-based sire Le Havre (Ire) was responsible for the unbeaten G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Avenir Certain (Fr) for Gerard-Augustin Normand and Antonio Caro, it was a case of more of the same at Deauville on Sunday as the same silks were carried to glory by his latest flag-bearing daughter La Cressonniere (Fr). Last seen extending her flawless sequence in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix la Camargo over a mile Mar. 20, the 15-2 shot enjoyed a straightforward trip after showing speed from the gates to race in a share of second under Cristian Demuro. Sent to the front approaching the two-furlong pole, the bay stayed on gamely to register a length success from Nathra (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), who closed late to deny the 10-3 favourite Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) by a head and therefore also deny the winning trainer Jean-Claude Rouget a one-two. La Cressonniere was providing Rouget with a third straight victory in the Classic and a fourth overall renewal after Elusive Wave (Ire) (Elusive City) became his first Classic winner in this seven years ago, just four weeks before Le Havre gave his stable glory in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. “She is top-class,” her trainer said. “She didn't have the best of races with the one draw and never got cover, but kept finding more and more and won well in the end.”
Sunday, Deauville, France
POULE D'ESSAI DES POULICHES-G1, €450,000, DVL, 5-15, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:36, gd.
1–@&LA CRESSONNIERE (FR), 126, f, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
1st Dam: Absolute Lady (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Lil's Jessy (Ire), by Kris (GB)
3rd Dam: Lobmille (GB), by Mill Reef
O-Gerard Augustin-Normand & Ecurie Antonio Caro; B-Franklin Finance SA (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €257,130. Lifetime Record: 6-6-0-0, €365,630. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nathra (Ire), 126, f, 3, Iffraaj (GB)–Rada (Ire), by Danehill. (270,000gns Ylg '14 TAOCT). O-Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah; B-Pier House Stud (IRE); T-John Gosden. €102,870.
3–Qemah (Ire), 126, f, 3, Danehill Dancer (Ire)–Kartica (GB), by Rainbow Quest. (€200,000 Ylg '14 ARAUG). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Haras du Cadran, SCEA Bissons & SAS IEI (IRE). €51,435.
Margins: 1, HD, HD. Odds: 7.40, 8.40, 3.30.
Also Ran: Besharah (Ire), Spectre (Fr), Sasparella (Fr), Alice Springs (Ire), Come Alive (GB), Syrita (Fr), Aim To Please (Fr), Kenriya (Fr), Antonoe, Huda (Fr), Positive Vibration (Ire).
Successfully introduced over seven furlongs at Clairefontaine in July, La Cressonniere went over an extended mile next time at Craon in September and registered a five-length win which paved the way for an entry into black-type territory. Making all in the Listed Prix Isonomy over this course and distance the following month, she defied a subsequent penalty in authoritative fashion in Chantilly's Listed Prix Herod back at seven in November before again dominating from the front when making virtually all in the Camargo. After that contest, jockey Cristian Demuro was adamant his mount could have won by more than the official 2 1/2 lengths but she was meeting several fillies here who had already flown higher and a more-vaunted stablemate in Qemah so was slightly under the radar as a consequence. As straightforward in this elite test as she had been in her warm-ups, La Cressonniere enjoyed a tow from Qemah's pacemaker and her own stable's Positive Vibration (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) to halfway, after which she had Come Alive (GB) (Dansili {GB}) for company. Soon gaining that rival's measure, she responded to every call to ward off a line of rivals and keep her perfect tally intact. As with Avenir Certain, the winner is set to contest the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly June 19 and attempt to become the fourth filly to pull off the Classic double in nine years. “She has the pedigree to stay and a lot of heart, so she will most definitely go for the Diane,” Jean-Claude Rouget said, before adding of the third, “Qemah did a bit too much during the race and definitely does not stay any further than a mile. If there is a chance of her winning a group 1, it will be over this trip so she could go for the G1 Coronation S. [at Royal Ascot June 17].” She will meet Nathra there, according to Bruce Raymond. “We're absolutely delighted with her run. She obviously ran better then she did at Newmarket,” the owner Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah's racing manager said. “We feel the more level track suited her, as she stayed on to get close at the line. Frankie [Dettori] was really delighted with her. I think she'll go to Ascot [for the Coronation].”La Cressonniere's second dam Lil's Jessy, a half-sister to the GI Hollywood Derby third and sire Lone Bid (Fr) (Priolo) who was the winner of the G3 Nell Gwyn S., also had the Listed Revidere S. winner and G2 Blandford S. third Paris Winds (Ire) from a mating with Galileo (Ire) along with Absolute Lady. Lobmille has three black-type winners to her credit and was bred from a full-sister to The Queen's Prix de Diane and 1000 Guineas heroine Highclere (GB). Absolute Lady has a 2-year-old filly by Air Chief Marshal (Ire) named Tonneville (Fr) and a yearling full-brother to La Cressonniere named Gratot. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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