Dubawi's Kitesurf Takes the Vermeille

Kitesurf | Scoop Dyga

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She took a long time to warm up in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille, but Godolphin's Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) ultimately held the aces as she denied Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a tight finish to the ParisLongchamp feature. Delivering a career-best when taking Deauville's G2 Prix de Pomone over 12 1/2 furlongs last time Aug. 19, the 9-5 favourite was detached in last with Mickael Barzalona having to keep her at it at various stages but once into the straight she was able to unleash a strong surge up the centre of the track. As Magic Wand rushed clear of the pack against the far rail, Kitesurf was finishing off the stronger in isolation and began to assert in the last 50 metres to score by a head, with 2 1/2 lengths back to Zarkamiya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) in third. “It was a well-deserved win and we always suspected that she was capable of being victorious in a group one,” Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard commented. “For fillies like her, it is mission accomplished to win one. We will see how she comes out of this race, but the Arc, the Breeders' Cup and British Champions Day at Ascot are all possible targets.”

Whether Kitesurf is taken seriously as an Arc contender–if her trainer opts to go that way–remains to be seen, but her time just a fraction off that of Sea the Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the 2009 renewal of the great race. That luminary's dam Urban Sea (Miswaki) was also able to annexe the prize at odds of 37-1 back in 1993, while Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}) was 33-1 when scoring as an older mare six years ago. Kitesurf, who has taken time to fully mature, probably holds better credentials than that pair at this point without being in the league of other recent Arc heroines Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

At three, she managed to win the G3 Prix de Royaumont and finish third in the G2 Prix de Royallieu over this trip at Chantilly but it was not until her 4-year-old bow in the G3 Prix Allez France over 10 furlongs here Apr. 29 that she showed the class that Fabre had seen at home. Disappointing when fifth in the 10 1/2-furlong G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud May 21, she was upped to 14 furlongs to contest the G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil back at this venue July 14 and finished fourth before bouncing back in the Pomone. According to connections, a right-handed circuit brings out the best in her and therefore a tilt at the main event here in three weeks or a crack at one of Ascot's major prizes on Champions Day could be where she is truly put to the test.

Kitesurf is the first foal out of the G3 Pinnacle S. winner Shimmering Surf (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who also finished runner-up in the Pomone herself and the G2 Lancashire Oaks. Her listed-winning dam Sun On the Sea (Ire) (Bering {GB}) is a half to the GIII La Jolla H. third Beau Temps (GB) (Mtoto {GB}) from the family of the G1 Irish Derby and GI Secretariat S. hero Treasure Beach (GB) (Galileo {Ire). Shimmering Surf also has an as-yet unraced 3-year-old filly by Frankel (GB) named Sparkling Surf (GB), a 2-year-old colt Surfman (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and a yearling filly by Golden Horn (GB).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-16, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:26.39, gd.
1–KITESURF (GB), 129, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
      1st Dam: Shimmering Surf (Ire) (GSW-Eng & GSP-Fr, $153,888), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
      2nd Dam: Sun On the Sea (Ire), by Bering (GB)
      3rd Dam: Shimmer (Fr), by Green Dancer
1ST GROUP ONE WIN. O-Godolphin SNC; B-P L Winkworth (GB); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. €342,840. Lifetime Record: 13-5-1-2, €578,650. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”frbc-trained-at-chantilly-2018″]2–Magic Wand (Ire), 121, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Prudenzia (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (€1,400,000 Ylg '16 ARAUG). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Markus Jooste; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm Inc (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €137,160.
3–Zarkamiya (Fr), 122, f, 3, Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)–Zarkava (Ire), by Zamindar. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR); T-Alain de Royer-Dupre. €68,580.
Margins: HD, 2HF, 3. Odds: 1.80, 4.90, 5.90.
Also Ran: Worth Waiting (GB), Bye Bye Baby (Ire), Well Timed (Ger), Son Macia (Ger), Bebe D'Amour (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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