Treve Makes a Mockery Of Vermeille Examination

Confirming that the decision to keep her in training as a 5-year-old was inspired as much as it was unquestionably brave and sporting, Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) simply annihilated some smart distaffers in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille staged in her own back yard over Longchamp's mile and a half. If her deflating performance when fourth in this 12 months ago was a lowpoint of an otherwise stellar career, this workout ahead of her immortality bid in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in three weeks' time represented arguably her most dashing display on the track. Sent off the 3-5 favorite coming off a break having won the June 28 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on livelier summer ground, Al Shaqab Racing's sensation clearly enjoyed the return to a rain-softened surface and proved more tractable than in the past for Thierry Jarnet as she raced in mid-division initially. Spurred on by a rush of adrenalin as she entered the “false straight” and sensed that her moment was near, the imposing bay tanked to the leaders and after taking control with a quarter mile left sprinted clear for a win of ridiculous ease. Jarnet's only concern late on was to make sure she stayed straight as she was inclined to hang down into the rail, but at the line her exhibition of matchless class was not fully expressed by the margin of just 4 1/2 lengths back to the Aga Khan's progressive G3 Prix Minerve-winning 3-year-old Candarliya (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and further half length to the G1 Yorkshire Oaks third Sea Calisi (Fr) (Youmzain {Ire}). To put her performance into context, the G1 Juddmonte International winner Arabian Queen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was fully 11 lengths behind her in sixth. A stunned Criquette Head-Maarek said, “What can we say again, she is just so fantastic. I think she is coming back to her best level and is as good as she was as a 3-year-old, even though she won the Arc last year as her season was not perfect before that. She is definitely better going right-handed and on that ground. The Arc will be a much tougher race, so we'll see.”

Sunday, Longchamp, France
QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE-G1, €350,000, LCP, 9-13, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:34.09, vsf.
1–TREVE (FR), 129, m, 5, by Motivator (GB)
1st Dam: Trevise (Fr), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Trevillari, by Riverman
3rd Dam: Trevilla, by Lyphard
(€22,000 RNA Yrl '11 AR11). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Haras du Quesnay (Fr); T-Criquette Head-Maarek; J-Thierry Jarnet; €199,990. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur & Fr at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Horse-Eur & Fr at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Fr at 9-11f, G1SP-Eng, 12 starts, 9 wins, 3 places, €7,059,083. *1/2 to Trois Rois (Fr) (Hernando {Fr}), SW & GSP-Fr, $194,460. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Candarliya (Fr), 120, f, 3, Dalakhani (Ire)–Candara (Fr) by Barathea (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR). T-Alain de Royer-Dupre. €80,010.
3–Sea Calisi (Fr), 120, f, 3, Youmzain (Ire)–Triclaria (Ger), by Surumu (Ger). O-Martin S Schwartz Racing; B-Derek Bloodstock (FR); T-Francois Doumen. €40,005.
Margins: 4HF, HF, 6. Odds: 0.60, 4.90, 9.00.
Also Ran: Frine (Ire), Beautiful Romance (GB), Arabian Queen (Ire), Al Naamah (Ire), Diamondsandrubies (Ire), Dihna (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Two years ago, just before her first Arc triumph, Treve had dispatched the classy Wild Coco (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) with ease in this contest and shown her earlier G1 Prix de Diane success to be no flash-in-the-plan. When she arrived here last year, she already had two unexpected defeats behind her after losing out in the G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Prince of Wales's S. for varying reasons and she looked a pale imitation of the filly that had so emphatically conquered the world's best on the first Sunday in October. Since that effort behind a rival in Baltic Baroness (Ger) (Shamardal) that would not normally be in the same league, she managed to wow once more as only she can with a second Arc at odds of 11-1 that reflected the general opinion of her prospects of reversing a season's slump. This term, she has managed to come through the first two parts of the masterplan, the 10 1/2-furlong G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud May 29 and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, with wins and reputation firmly intact but it was only in this race that she was able to show what she remains capable of. With the 3-year-old colts Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) and New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) on the horizon, she needed to be the Treve of old to ensure favoritism for the Arc but it is arguable that she may even be better than ever after this stellar display. Al Shaqab's racing manager Harry Herbert was one of the many who were blown away by what he witnessed on the Bois de Boulogne. “She is amazing–she has such an unbelievable way of traveling through a race,” he said. “You always think she is too strong on the bit and has done too much, but she always has plenty left and the way she moves on at the end of a race is unbelievable. It's amazing how well she looks and how much bigger she is this year.”