By Tom Frary
Last Kingdom ran into the future G1 Prix de Diane winner Senga (Blame) when two-lengths runner-up as the odds-on favourite for his second start in a Saint-Cloud conditions event over a mile in September and that was the last time he tasted defeat. Returning at this venue to beat the subsequent G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) third Empire of the Star (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in a mile maiden Apr. 10, the bay was sent back here to beat Normandy Spirit (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) by a length in a conditions event again at that trip May 29 and continued his progress with this first black-type success. Settled in second early tracking Neguev as Spotify raced on his tail, he was sent to the front with 300 metres remaining and stayed on to deny the latter as they pulled away.
The winner is the first runner for Compelling, whose dam Damson was an English and Irish highweight 2-year-old as a result of her successes in the G1 Phoenix S. and G2 Queen Mary S. Her son Requinto (Ire) inherited her precocity and speed and the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Molecomb S. winner is having fair success as a sire. Also the dam of the G3 Curragh S. runner-up Independence Day (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), she is a half-sister to the G3 Prestige S. scorer Geminiani (Ire) (King of Kings {Ire}) from the Aga Khan family of the sires Tiangar (Ire) and Tiraaz. Last Kingdom has a 2-year-old half-brother by Smart Strike, a yearling filly by Kitten's Joy and a filly foal by Tapit.
Wednesday, Maisons-Laffitte, France
PRIX DAPHNIS-G3, €80,000, MLF, 6-28, 3yo, 9fT, 1:58.62, gd.
1–#@LAST KINGDOM, 123, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Compelling (Ire), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Damson (Ire), by Entrepreneur (GB)
3rd Dam: Tadkiyra (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
($500,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Prince A A Faisal; B-Michael Baum and Reiko Baum (KY); T-Andre Fabre; J-Silvestre de Sousa. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, €83.910. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spotify (Fr), 123, c, 3, Redoute's Choice (Aus)–Gwenseb (Fr), by Green Tune. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (FR); T-Christophe Ferland. €16,000.
3–Neguev (Ire), 123, c, 3, So You Think (NZ)–Lady Bering (GB), by Bering (GB). (€120,000 Ylg '15 ARAUG).
O-Daniel-Yves Treves; B-EARL Ecurie la Boetie (IRE); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 2, SNK. Odds: 2.20, 1.30, 2.00.
Also Ran: Roc Angel (Fr). Scratched: Normandy Spirit (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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