By Tom Frary
The road to the 2018 G1 Prix du Jockey Club received its first voyagers on Sunday, with Jean-Louis Tepper's Pharrell (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) coming out on top in a tight finale with Alhadab (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) and Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp. Like so many Jean-Claude Rouget runners before him, the chestnut was kept in the provinces at two and entered this first Parisian test on the back of conditions wins over 10 furlongs at Angers in October and November. A generous 17-1 as a result, he tracked the leading trio under Jean-Bernard Eyquem and was the first of the eventual protagonists to strike for home with two furlongs remaining. Chased hard by Ballydoyle's Flag of Honour to the line, he showed tenacity to ward off that threat as the Fabre representative Alhadab closed on his other side. At the line, he had a head to spare over the latter, with the same margin back to Flag of Honour in third as they put eight lengths between them and Gyllen (Medaglia d'Oro).
Rouget has a keen eye for a potentially smart horse and this bargain purchase is just another reminder of that. “I've always liked this horse, he very much reminded me of another son of Manduro called Ultra (Ire) who won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere for Godolphin and that's why I bought him as a yearling. I did not even not look at his family,” he explained. “Lately, his home work was not that good but you have to run them and take the races as they come. It was a very nice surprise to see him win so bravely and as I was not expecting that I haven't mapped out a program for him. We'll see how he comes out of this to see where he goes next.”
Pedigree Notes…
The dam, who is a half to the listed-placed Mogadishio (Fr) (American Post {GB}), also has a yearling filly by Dabirsim (Fr). This is the family of the GII Mathis Brothers Mile S. runner-up Perfectly Majestic (Majesticperfection), the GII Buena Vista H. scorer and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. runner-up Blue Moon (Fr) (Lomitas {GB}) and the G1SW staying sire Bannaby (Fr) (Dyhim Diamond {Ire}). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX NOAILLES-G3, €80,000, LCP, 4-15, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:23.51, hy.
1–PHARRELL (FR), 128, c, 3, by Manduro (Ger)
1st Dam: Censure (Fr), by Kendor (Fr)
2nd Dam: Nebraska (Fr), by Octagonal (NZ)
3rd Dam: Touraille (Fr), by Jim French
1st BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (€15,000 Ylg '16
ARAUG). O-SARL Ecurie J L Tepper; B-Suc. P Camus-Denais & B
Camus-Denais (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Jean-Bernard
Eyquem. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-2, €83,750.Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+.[bullet ad=”frbc-trained-in-france-2018″]2–Alhadab (Fr), 128, c, 3, Camelot%20(GB)#tot">Camelot (GB)–Grace Lady (Fr), by
Muhtathir (GB). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Jean-Philippe Dubois
(FR); T-Andre Fabre. €16,000.
3–Flag of Honour (Ire), 128, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Hawala (Ire), by
Warning (GB). O-Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick
Smith; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: HD, HD, 8. Odds: 16.80, 8.50, 2.50.
Also Ran: Gyllen, Nobokhov (GB), Barade (Fr), Vicopisano (Fr), Young Fire (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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