Sunday, Maisons-Laffitte, FrancePRIX MESSIDOR-G3, €80,000, Maisons-Laffitte, 7-8, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:35.45, gd/sf.
1--TIN HORSE (IRE), 127, c, 4, by Sakhee
    1st Dam: Joyeuse Entree (GB) (GSW-Fr, $117,817), by Kendor (Fr)
    2nd Dam: Cape of Good Hope (Fr), by Crystal Glitters
    3rd Dam: Lady Eglantine (GB), by Lightning (Fr)
O/B-Marquise de Moratalla; T-Didier Guillemin; J-Thierry Jarnet; €40,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, 12 starts, 4 wins, 5 places, €525,597. *1/2 to Becomes You (GB) (Lomitas {GB}), SW & GSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Prince d'Alienor (Ire), 127, c, 4, Verglas (Ire)--Vassiana (Fr), by Anabaa. (50,000gns wnlg '08 TATDEC; €50,000 yrl '09 ARQAUG; 58,000gns RNA 2yo '10 TATAPR; €27,000 HIT '10 ARQJUL; €85,000 RNA HIT '11 ARQARC). O-Ecurie La Boetie; B-Celbridge Estates Ltd; T-Xavier Nakkachdji; €16,000.
3--Moonwalk in Paris (Fr), 131, g, 4, Oratorio (Ire)--Shining Glory (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). (€36,000 RNA wnlg '08 ARQDEC; €70,000 yrl '09 ARQAUG). O-Ecurie Jean-Louis Tepper & Ecurie La Vallee Martigny; B-Neustrian Associates & Dandy's Farm; T-Jean-Claude Rouget; €12,000.
Margins: 2, 2HF, 2. Odds: 2.70, 6.10, 1.60.
Also Ran: Stand My Ground (Ire), Vagabond Shoes (Ire), Pisco Sour. Scratched: Rockinante (Fr).
Click for the Racing Post chart. Click for Equidia video.
   Without a win or even a place since taking last year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Tin Horse rebounded in this confidence boost to start out on the road back to the top level. Since his success in that Longchamp Classic, all his starts had come in Group 1 company, and he was not far from the action in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly last June and Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August. After making less of an impact when off the board on his 3-year-old finale in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September and on his seasonal bow in the May 27 G1 Prix d'Ispahan back at that venue, it was time for connections to set an easier task. Settled with only Prince d'Alienor behind early, the grey allowed that rival first run in a race in which the strong early pace saw the closers come to the fore. Cutting down that rival passing the furlong pole, the homebred asserted to record a comfortable success. "It took a while for him to come back to his best and things didn't go well on his first run this year, but we knew we had him at the top of his game for this," commented Gilles Forien, racing manager to Marquise de Moratalla. "We feared the ground might be too soft, as it had rained a lot last night, but he found a section that was good and he was able to show his true quality. I am now convinced he is still as good as he was at two and three, so we will hopefully get him back in the major league in something like the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois [at Deauville Aug. 12]."