By Sean Cronin
Inns of Court, a Nov. 15 winner going seven panels at Chantilly in his sole freshman start, doubled up over the same distance at Saint-Cloud on sophomore return Apr. 11 and stepped down in class and trip here after posting a respectable sixth in Deauville's May 14 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains on stakes bow last time. Positioned at the tail of the field from flagfall here, he eased into contention on the bridle approaching the quarter-mile pole and easily asserted superiority once pouncing for control inside the final eighth to claim a career high with something to spare. “He had a problem in the Poulains, as he pulled hard early and his saddle slipped and that was it,” explained winning trainer Andre Fabre. “He needs pace in a race and can stretch to a mile. He's in the [seven-furlong G3] Jersey S. [at Royal Ascot June 21], but that will probably come too early and the [July 9 G1] Prix Jean Prat [at Chantilly] is a possibility.”
Saturday, Maisons-Laffitte, France
PRIX DU PALAIS-ROYAL-G3, €80,000, MLF, 6-3, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:25.43, vsf.
1–#@INNS OF COURT (IRE), 120, c, 3, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Learned Friend (Ger), by Seeking the Gold
2nd Dam: Lune d'Or (Fr), by Green Tune
3rd Dam: Lune d'Or (Fr), by Noir et Or (GB)
O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, €66,500.[bullet ad=”frbc-chantilly”]Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Attendu (Fr), 130, c, 4, Acclamation (GB)–Gwenseb (Fr, by Green Tune. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (FR); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias. €16,000.
3–Karar (GB), 130, g, 5, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–In the Light (GB), by Inchinor (GB). (55,000gns Wlg '12 TATFOA; 120,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT; €200,000 2yo '14 ARMAY). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-James Wigan (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 1.60, 4.50, 6.50.
Also Ran: Spectre (Fr), Djiguite (Fr), Blessed Silence (Fr), For Ever (Fr), Walec (GB).
The homebred bay is the first black-type scorer produced by a daughter of G1 Premio Lydia Tesio-winning Italian highweight Lune d'Or (Fr) (Green Tune) and his third dam is MGSP Listed Grand Prix de Compiegne victess Luth d'Or (Fr) (Noir et Or {GB}), herself a half-sister to MG1SW French champion miler Luth Enchantee (Fr) (Be My Guest). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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