Sea the Stars' Cloth of Stars Takes the Greffulhe

Beaten twice by Robin of Navan last term, Godolphin's Cloth of Stars finally managed to reverse form with that rival and secure a place in the line-up for either the June 4 G1 Epsom Derby or June 5 G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly. Successful in the G3 Prix des Chenes over a mile at Longchamp in September before finishing third to Robin of Navan in the G3 Prix de Conde over an extra furlong at Chantilly in October and second behind him in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over this trip, the bay had been sharpened with a win in the G3 Prix la Force also over this track and trip Apr. 3. Settled fourth of the five by Mickael Barzalona early, he was wound up out wide in the straight and surged past his old adversary with a furlong remaining and into the clear. “We now know that the Prix du Jockey Club is a serious possibility, but there is also Epsom so we'll see how he trains between now and then,” John Ferguson said. “The jockey said that the faster they go, the better he settles and there should be sufficient pace for him at group 1 level. Andre [Fabre] thinks a fast mile-and-a-half will suit him, so he will guide is where to go.” Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigrees21 . Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Sunday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX GREFFULHE-G2, €130,000, SCD, 5-8, 3yo, c/f, 10fT, 2:03.70, gd.
1–CLOTH OF STARS (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Strawberry Fledge, by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lingerie (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
3rd Dam: Northern Trick, by Northern Dancer
(400,000gns Ylg '14 TAOCT). O-Godolphin SNC; B-Peter Anastasiou (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. €74,100. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 6-4-1-1, €235,750. Werk Nick Rating: A++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Robin of Navan (Fr), 128, c, 3, American Post (GB)–Cloghran (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). (€10,000 Ylg '14 AROCT; €47,000 2yo '15 ARMAY). O-Cross, Deal, Foden, Sieff; B-Mme Monique Lepeudry (FR); T-Harry Dunlop. €28,600.
3–Kidmenever (Ire), 128, c, 3, Baltic King (GB)–Pepys Tillergirl (Ire), by Tillerman (GB). (€10,000 2yo '15 GBMBR). O-Gerard Augustin-Normand, Mme Elisabeth Vidal & Fabrice Vermeulen; B-George S O'Malley (IRE); T-Fabrice Vermeulen. €13,500.
Margins: 2HF, HF, HD. Odds: 1.30, 1.50, 20.90.
Also Ran: Apilobar (Fr), Le Juge (Ire).