By Emma Berry
DEAUVILLE, France — Deauville, more used to coming under the group-race spotlight in high summer, dusted off its Sunday best and emphatically dispelled any doubt as to its suitability as the temporary host of the first two French Classics of the season.
There's no question that a cloudless blue sky and a horde of Parisiens enjoying the extended public holiday weekend went a long way to enhancing the feelgood factor on the first really big day of the French season but, following a blockbuster breeze-up sale at Arqana on Saturday, the Normandy track added a certain sparkle to the French Guineas meeting which is rarely felt at Longchamp.
The equine Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) battled hard but failed narrowly to win York's G2 Dante S. on Thursday but the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains victory of his stable-mate and paternal half-brother The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was never in doubt for a long way out along the fast, straight mile of Deauville's La Touques racecourse. Five and a half lengths split him and his nearest pursuer, the Simon Crisford-trained First Selection (Spa) (Diktat {GB}), who has been a honourable flagbearer for Spain since his purchase from Madrid's yearling sale by Con Marnane. But the day belonged to the mightily impressive colt who, according to his trainer, is lucky to be alive after enduring two operations for colic as a juvenile.
Quizzed tirelessly at a press day on Monday about the G3 Chester Vase performance of US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), another of his colts to have shot to Derby prominence earlier in the season, Aidan O'Brien barely had time to mention The Gurkha, whose sole win prior to Sunday had been in a heavy-ground maiden at Navan. The presence of Ryan Moore on his back that day should have dropped a heavy hint at the regard in which he is held in-house.
“He was very green in his first race but he has improved and he won his maiden very easily the next time at Navan, which is a very tough track. For a Galileo he has a lot of speed and he travels really well,” said the trainer in Deauville on Sunday.
Shortened significantly in the betting for the Investec Derby on June 4 following his Poulains romp, The Gurkha's options are still wide open
O'Brien continued, “That's another decision for the lads to make. He could go to Epsom or the French Derby or the St James's Palace S. We thought he would get a mile and a quarter, and sometimes those horses have a chance to get a mile and a half.
“We always thought he was a good horse but he's lucky to have lived as he had two colic surgeries as a 2-year-old. From the very first day he worked we knew he was good but very few horses come back from that.”
The Gurkha's victory was O'Brien's fourth win in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, a race which, remarkably, still eludes one of France's elite trainers, Jean-Claude Rouget. If Rouget was disappointed with a best-placed fourth for George Patton (War Front) from his three runners, that would have been assuaged by a third successive triumph in the fillies' Classic for the Pau trainer thanks to the unbeaten La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).
Seven years ago Le Havre stormed the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club for Rouget and owner Gérard Augustin-Normand, who was then in the early stages of turning his attention to Thoroughbred racing after being a significant investor in trotting. His subsequent decision to turn down an offer from a major Japanese stud farm and to stand his Classic winner in his beloved Normandy has been one to have benefited not only himself but also the wider French breeding community.
Augustin-Normand is now the proud owner of Le Havre's two Classic winners, his homebred La Cressonniere having followed the example of the stallion's first-crop daughter Avenir Certain (Fr) in winning the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Both fillies were born and raised at Haras de la Cauviniere, home to Le Havre since his retirement to stud, which coincided with an encouraging resurgence in the French stallion ranks.
La Cauviniere's commercial manager Mathieu Alex said, “It's a dream come true for Le Havre to have produced two Classic winners from his first three crops. It makes it extra special for us that both fillies were bred at La Cauviniere––and these are from mares when he was standing at €5,000.”
He continued, “He's still a young stallion––he's only 10––and he's been covering some really good mares in the last few seasons, it's very exciting. Full credit to his owner who has supported him from the start, and we tried to do the rest with a lot of support from the French breeders.”
Rouget was also responsible for the facile winner of the G2 Prix Hocquart, Mekhtaal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), whose commanding performance left his stable-mate Thewayyouwish (Thewayyouare) trailing six lengths in his wake and gave Al Shaqab Racing another potent weapon in its Classic armoury, whether the colt remains in France or heads to Epsom.
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