By Tom Frary
There was joy for the French throughout the Arc card, with the 20-1 shot Villa Marina (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) ensuring that the home nation prevailed in half of the group 1s on offer when taking the Prix de l'Opera Longines. Enjoying the invaluable assistance of the ParisLongchamp master Olivier Peslier, the homebred of Dario Hinojosa's SARL Darpat France who had been fourth last time trying 12 furlongs in the G1 Prix Vermeille here Sept. 15 was keen initially before bowing to restraint in mid-division. What she did have that some of her chief rivals were denied was a clear run in the straight and, after grabbing the lead a furlong from home, held on as Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) closed to within a short neck. Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) also lunged late, but was 3/4 of a length behind in third.
“She ran a very good race in the Vermeille, where everyone could see that the trip was too far,” trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias said of the bay who had burst onto the scene with success in the G3 Prix de Psyche. “She won in good style today and is a very brave filly who hasn't stopped improving. She will definitely not stay in training next year, as the owner is a breeder but if all is well in the next few days there is a very good possibility that she will go for the [Nov. 2 GI] Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.”
Villa Marina had taken five starts to get off the mark, but managed it over this course and distance July 11 when partnered by the apprentice Thomas Trullier. Her next outing was Deauville's July 27 Prix de Psyche also over this trip and she showed how much she had progressed by comprehensively beating the subsequent Jockey Club Oaks Invitational winner Edisa (Kitten's Joy). Forced into a wide trip throughout as the free-running Mehdaayih (GB) (Frankel {GB}) raced herself into the ground in the hands of a heartbroken post-Arc Frankie Dettori up front, she was able to overhaul another John Gosden runner in the G2 Prix de la Nonette winner Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) a furlong out. The G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Fleeting and the G1 Coronation S. heroine Watch Me came from behind with stirring efforts, with the latter having to navigate through the crowd in the process, but Villa Marina had already gone just out of reach. There was a hammer blow for Coolmore, as the impeccably-bred Goddess (Camelot {GB}) tragically broke down in the straight and had to be euthanized.
Aidan O'Brien said of Fleeting, “The filly was in great form and finished quickly once again. She's very consistent. There are several options for her, so we'll see a bit later.” Francis-Henri Graffard was left wondering what might have been had Pierre-Charles Boudot had a clear shot at the prize. “Obviously I am a little disappointed,” he commented. “She was held up at the rear and burst through in the straight, but the draw didn't help. I think her owner is considering sending her to stud, but I don't know the final decision as yet. She liked the ground. The race was very difficult, because one of the runners blocked her in.”
Villa Marina is out of the stakes winner and GIII The Very One H. and GIII Gallorette H. runner-up Briviesca (GB) (Peintre Celebre), who was a snip at 10,000gns when bought by Laffon-Parias as a yearling at Tattersalls. Having also produced the Listed Prix Petite Etoile third Aguafria (More Than Ready), she hails from the family of the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko). This is the dam line of the influential broodmare Special (Forli {Arg}), a full-sister to the G1 July Cup hero and leading sire Thatch and the dam of the champion sire Nureyev as well as the granddam of the Sadler's Wells. Briviesca's unraced 2-year-old colt is by Archipenko, while she also has a yearling filly by Myboycharlie (Ire) and a filly foal by Reliable Man (GB).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'OPERA LONGINES-G1, €500,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:09.09, vsf.
1–VILLA MARINA (GB), 123, f, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
1st Dam: Briviesca (GB) (MSW & MGSP-US, SW-Fr, $253,555), by Peintre Celebre
2nd Dam: Kimono (Ire), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Kiliniski (Ire), by Nibiski
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-SARL Darpat France (FR); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias; J-Olivier Peslier. €285,700. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-2, €392,570. *1/2 to Aguafria (More Than Ready), SP-Fr & US, $115,372. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fleeting (Ire), 123, f, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Azafata (Spa), by Motivator (GB). (€50,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €100,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Fernando Bermudez (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €114,300.
3–Watch Me (Fr), 123, f, 3, Olympic Glory (Ire)–Watchful (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (€30,000 RNA Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Alexander Tamagni & Mme Regula Vannod; B-Mme Antoinette Tamagni-Bodmer & Cocheese Bloodstock Anstalt (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €57,150.
Margins: SNK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 19.90, 19.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Commes (Fr), Terebellum (Ire), With You (GB), Ligne d'Or (GB), Pink Dogwood (Ire), Etoile (Fr), Mehdaayih (GB), Cartiem (Fr). DNF: Goddess. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
