By Tom Frary
Handed his chance at black-type after impressive wins over 10 furlongs at Cagnes-sur-Mer in January and over 9 1/2 furlongs at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat last month, Ecuries Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}–Absolutly Me {Fr}, by Anabaa Blue {Ire}) showed his Classic hand in Thursday's 10-furlong Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly. Again exhibiting early keenness as Cristian Demuro sought cover towards the rear, the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Grand Prix de Paris entry was far from compromised by that initial expenditure of energy as he swamped the leaders approaching the furlong pole and galloped to the line with relish to win comfortably by 1 3/4 lengths from Maniatic (Ire) (Intello {Ger}).
Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has no doubt where the winner is heading. “This horse has everything it takes to make a good one,” he stated. “We went step-by-step with him with this race in mind as a final prep for the Prix du Jockey Club. These races are important, because if you lose and show nothing you lose your illusions. He quickened brilliantly and now we have to try to finish the job. We will be back at Chantilly on the first Sunday in June.”
The dual listed-placed dam, who has produced two other listed-placed performers in Apollo Flight (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Alessandro (Fr) (Australia {GB}), also has the 2-year-old colt Arrow Eagle (Fr) by Gleneagles (Ire). Her family includes the top-class British-trained stalwarts Teleprompter (GB), Ibn Bey (GB) and Roseate Tern (GB) and the talented Red Camellia (GB) (Polar Falcon), who took the G3 Prestige S. and was third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches before producing the G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Red Bloom (GB) (Selkirk).
PRIX DE SURESNES-Listed, €55,000, Chantilly, 5-4, 3yo, 10fT, 2:03.72, g/s.
1–ACE IMPACT (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Cracksman (GB)
1st Dam: Absolutly Me (Fr) (SP-Fr & Ger), by Anabaa Blue (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tadawul, by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Barakat (GB), by Bustino (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€75,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Ecuries Serge Stempniak; B-Mme W Spanner (IRE); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €55,000.
2–Maniatic (Ire), 128, c, 3, Intello (Ger)–Hallucinante (GB), by Dubawi (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €11,000.
3–Don Diego De Vega (Fr), 128, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Fairly Fair (Fr), by Sinndar (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (€90,000 Ylg '21 ARQOCT). O-Alexandre Foulon, Ecurie Vivaldi Et Al; B-Ecurie des Monceaux, Langlais Bloodstock Et Al (FR); T-Stephane Wattel. €8,250.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 1/4, 2. Odds: 1.40, 6.00, 3.40.
Also Ran: Prince De Paname (Fr), Swing Vote (GB), Regheeb (Ire), Rising Blast (Fr), Al Mundher (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.
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