By Tom Frary
Keeping it simple on the 6-5 favourite Mandanaba (Fr) (Ghaiyyath (Ire), Mickael Barzalona allowed the exciting Francis-Henri Graffard-trained homebred to roll from the front and capture Sunday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux at ParisLongchamp. Sufficiently impressive on her debut at Chantilly in November to earn TDN Rising Star status, Princess Zahra Aga Khan's daughter of her triple Group 1 winner Mandesha (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}) was in dominant mood throughout.
Despite the game effort of Juddmonte's Listed Prix la Camargo winner Flaming Stone (GB) (Kingman {GB}), the first stakes winner for her exciting second-season sire scored by 3/4 of a length, with a telling 3 1/2-length margin back to White Birch Farm's G3 Prix des Reservoirs scorer Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) in third. Despite covering the first five furlongs faster than the G3 Prix la Force winner Cualificar (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), she was able to close out the final three furlongs in 34.80 and beat the colt's time in the preceding race.
“She is a lovely filly who loves to be in a good rhythm, so we wanted to let her do her own thing,” Graffard explained. “It was a good performance, but I'm not sure we will go further in trip with her and we might even revert to a mile. Let's wait and see how she comes out of this one, let's also see the results of the other trials for fillies before making a decision.”
🏆 Mandanaba (@mickaelbarzalon) triomphe dans l'Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux (Gr.3) à @paris_longchamp et conserve son invincibilité.
▶️ La pouliche de @GraffardRacing est engagée dans l'Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (11 mai) et dans le Prix de Diane @Longines (15… pic.twitter.com/Q4ry1eChaT
— Equidia (@equidia) April 6, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Mandanaba's aforementioned dam was the champion three-year-old filly of 2006 courtesy of wins in the G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Prix d'Astarte and G1 Prix de l'Opera and she was also second in the G1 Nassau Stakes. Her first foal was Smart Strike's sire Mandour, but this filly is the first since that G1 Prix d'Ispahan place-getter to get any black-type. The family also features Doyoun's GI Manhattan Handicap and GI Turf Classic-winning sire Manndar (Ire).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
AL SHIRA'AA RACING PRIX VANTEAUX-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-6, 3yo, f, 9fT, 1:49.89, gd.
1–MANDANABA (FR), 126, f, 3, by Ghaiyyath (Ire)
1st Dam: Mandesha (Fr) (MG1SW-Fr & G1SP-Eng, $974,461), by Desert Style (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mandalara (Ire), by Lahib
3rd Dam: Madiriya (Ire), by Diesis (GB)
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Princess Zahra Aga Khan (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €55,000. *1/2 to Mandour (Smart Strike), SW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $198,499. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Flaming Stone (GB), 126, f, 3, Kingman (GB)–Burning Rules (Ire), by Aussie Rules. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (425,000gns Wlg '22 TATFOA). O-Juddmonte; B-Mrs Anita Wigan & Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Henri-Francois Devin. €16,000.
3–Gezora (Fr), 126, f, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Germance, by Silver Hawk. O-White Birch Farm; B-Haras d'Etreham (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3HF, 3. Odds: 1.20, 3.50, 2.00.
Also Ran: Wassail, Blown By The Wind (Fr), Premonition (Fr).
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