Proving that his latest third to Twilight Son (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot June 18 was no fluke, Signs of Blessing made all and stayed out of trouble to record a career-best in a race that unfortunately saw the fatal fall of the Hong Kong raider Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie dei Colori {GB}) late on. After a delay caused by Jimmy Two Times breaking through the stalls, the bay received a masterful ride from the front and Stephane Pasquier judged it perfectly as he let him cruise to the quarter pole where he seemed to have everything cooked in behind. Only Donjuan Triumphant emerged with a serious threat, but the winner was out of reach and the only drama late on was the fall of the 27-10 favourite Gold-Fun who received no interference before coming down with Christophe Soumillon on board passing the furlong pole.
Signs of Blessing had shown precocity at two, winning the five-furlong Listed Criterium de Vitesse at Longchamp before returning to add the Listed Prix Sigy to his tally over six at Chantilly in April 2014. Subsequently second in the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges back over five at Longchamp and third in the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis reverting to six here, he visited Germany to annexe the G3 Goldene Peitsche over six at Baden-Baden in August before finishing off his 3-year-old campaign with a ninth in Ascot's G3 Bengough S. staying that trip in October. Last term, the wheels had come off and after four unplaced efforts and a trial of different tactics the decision was made to geld which received instantaneous and emphatic justification as he took a Chantilly conditions event by 5 1/2 lengths over this trip on the Polytrack Mar. 3. Following up impressively when re-adopting his earlier front-running style in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Prix Cor de Chasse at Fontainebleau at the end of that month, he was fifth in the latest renewal of the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges staged this year at this venue May 16 prior to his attempt to make all in the Diamond Jubilee only to lose out by a half length.
For trainer Francois Rohaut, the result was testament to his belief in Signs of Blessing from an early point. “We always kept faith in him, even though he didn't run well last season as we knew what the problem was,” he explained. “We made the right decision to geld and he has been very well since and has improved with every run. He has come back to his best and when he travelled so well in front and then quickened I knew it would take a top-class horse to beat him. He is now a group 1 winner and these sprinters improve with age, so we will try and save him as much as we can now and wait for the [G1 QIPCO] British Champions Sprint [S. at Ascot Oct. 15]. Five furlongs is too sharp for him, so it won't be the Abbaye. After Ascot, we'll then travel for the [G1] Hong Kong Sprint and then give him a long break ahead of next season.”
Signs of Blessing is out of the unraced Sun Bittern, whose listed-placed dam Sunray Superstar is a full-sister to the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Nadia (GB). The Signs of Blessing (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). His third dam, the Listed Rochestown S. scorer Nazoo, is a full-sibling of Nijinsky's G3 Anglesey S.-winning pair Single Combat and Lake Como as well as being a three-parts sister to the Listed Silver Flash S. winner and G1 Prix Morny third Heeremandi (Ire) (Royal Academy) and a half to the Listed Debutante S. winner Miznah (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). She in turn is the dam of the four-times group-winning sire Zindabad (Fr) whose descendants include the GI Turf Classic S. hero Divisidero (Kitten's Joy). Also from the family of the dual champion grass mare Flawlessly (Affirmed), Sun Bittern also has an as-yet unnamed 2-year-old colt by Redoute's Choice (Aus) and a yearling full-sister to Signs of Blessing.
Sunday, Deauville, France
LARC PRIX MAURICE DE GHEEST-G1, €380,000, DVL, 8-7, 3yo/up, 6 1/2fT, 1:16.74, gd.
1–&SIGNS OF BLESSING (IRE), 128, g, 5, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Sun Bittern, by Seeking The Gold
2nd Dam: Sunray Superstar (GB), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Nazoo (Ire), by Nijinsky II
(€102,000 Ylg '12 ARAUG). O-Mme Isabelle Corbani, Ecurie Pandora Racing & Ahmed Mouknass; B-Serge Boucheron (IRE); T-Francois Rohaut; J-Stephane Pasquier. €217,132. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ger & G1SP-Eng, 19-8-2-2, €512,550.[bullet ad=”mab-purchased-by”] Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Donjuan Triumphant (Ire), 123, c, 3, Dream Ahead–Mathuna (Ire), by Tagula (Ire). (€58,000 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; €50,000 RNA Ylg '14 GOFORB; 30,000gns 2yo '15 TATBRE). O-Middleham Park Racing LXXXVII; B-Patrick Cosgrove & Dream Ahead Syndicate (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. €86,868.
3–Jimmy Two Times (Fr), 123, c, 3, Kendargent (Fr)–Steel Woman (Ire), by Anabaa. (€85,000 Ylg '14 AROCT). O-Haras de Saint-Pair; B-Francis Teboul & Jean Boniche (FR); T-Andre Fabre. €43,434.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, NK. Odds: 9.20, 17.90, 7.90.
Also Ran: Suedois (Fr), Dutch Connection (GB), Attendu (Fr), Damila (Fr), Gordon Lord Byron (Ire), Black Max (Fr), Schang (Ger), The Right Man (GB), Gifted Master (Ire), Love Spirit (GB), Ross Castle (Ire). DNF: Gold Fun (Ire). Scratched: Mobsta (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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