By Tom Frary
They went slow and finished in a bunch at the end of Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly and it was Samuel de Barros's sole horse in training Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) who was in the right place throughout to pull off a minor upset at 9-1. Always handily placed by Pierre-Charles Boudot tracking the leading pair Platane (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) and Wonderment (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), the May 17 course-and-distance conditions winner was sent to the front with two furlongs remaining and gamely saw off the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Commes (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) to prevail by a head, with Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) the best closer a half length away in third. TDN Rising Star and 6-4 favourite Siyarafina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) held every chance but could only finish sixth with possibly stamina the main issue. “These are great moments–just unbelievable,” trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said. “She is a filly who puts her heart on the track and she had a beautiful ride. This is not only for me, but also for my staff who work so hard and all my owners who let me work and make decisions and respect them.”
Introduced at Saint-Cloud Mar. 30, Channel ran an encouraging second to Coolmore's Secret Walk (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) over 10 furlongs before heading to Lyon-Parilly to take an 11-furlong maiden Apr. 27 and beating some well-regarded rivals in the Prix de la Chapelle-En-Serval conditions race here May 17. Granted the perfect trip scenario in this black-type debut, the bay had first run on TDN Rising Star Commes and those who had to come from well off the moderate pace in Grand Glory and Etoile (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and that ultimately counted.
Bought for just €70,000 at the 2018 Arqana Breeze-Ups last May, having cost a mere €18,000 as a Goffs Orby yearling, Channel is a rare bargain to make it pay in a major Classic and Graffard was aware of the part of providence in the outcome. “This victory shows how dreams can sometimes come true,” he said. “She is the only horse the owner has and I met him through Bertrand Le Metayer who picked her out at the Breeze-Up sale. We loved her and she was from the same consignment [Mayfield Stables] as my filly Homerique (Exchange Rate) who was third in this last year and is now making headlines in America. The owner didn't pay very much and so it shows it is possible and they will now develop a breeding operation. She has had four starts, so I feel she needs a break now and we'll see how she is before making plans.”
Jean-Claude Rouget was making no excuses for Commes, who was coming up just short in a second Classic. “She has run an excellent race and has been beaten by very little in two Classics, but I never quite felt she would get there this time,” he commented. “It was a very good performance, while [fourth-placed] Etoile was a little bit nervous beforehand but had a good trip and really delivered once she was asked to run.” Grand Glory was providing trainer Gianluca Bietolini with a moment to cherish and he said of the third, “That was a fantastic performance and we would have signed up for that beforehand. Maybe she could have been a bit closer if she had come earlier, but we have no complaints.”
Channel, who was bred by Pat O'Kelly's legendary Kilcarn Stud, hails from the high-class Fittocks Stud family of Souk (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}). The dam Love Magic (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a daughter of the G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Magical Romance (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) who was a debut winner for Lady Rothschild and Sir Michael Stoute, was purchased by Kilcarn for 170,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Magical Romance had sold to the Rothschilds for a world-record broodmare price of 4.6million gns at the same auction nine years earlier, by virtue of the fact that she was a daughter of Shouk (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) who also produced the triple Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and her classy full-brother Masterofthehorse (Ire).
Alexandrova is the dam of the G2 Dahlia S. winner Somehow (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), the G2 Prix Kergolay scorer Alex My Boy (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and this year's G3 Athasi S. winner Happen (War Front), as well as being the second dam of the recent G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {Ire}). The Cumanis' aforementioned foundation mare Souk was responsible for the listed scorer Puce (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), in turn the dam of the G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Pongee (GB) (Barathea {Ire}) and the listed scorer and group-placed Lion Sands (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Souk's daughter Sitara (GB) (Salse) is the dam of the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), his full-brother Golden Sword (GB) who took the G3 Chester Vase S. and was runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby, and last year's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Sydney Opera House (GB) (Australia {GB}). Souk is also the second dam of the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air winner Haggle (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), while Puce's daughter Platonic (GB) (Zafonic) has produced the high-class pair of Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Love Magic has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire) named Jam and Mam (Ire) who was bought for €66,000 by Gerry Hogan Bloodstock at the Goffs Orby Sale before being resold to BBA Ireland for £95,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up. She also has a filly foal by Sea the Stars (Ire).
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE DIANE LONGINES-G1, €1,000,000, Chantilly, 6-16, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:08.70, g/s.
1–CHANNEL (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Nathaniel (Ire)
1st Dam: Love Magic (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Magical Romance (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Shouk (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€18,000 Ylg '17 GOFORB; €70,000 2yo '18 ARQMAY). O-Samuel de Barros; B-Kilcarn Stud (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €571,400. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, €600,900. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Commes (Fr), 126, f, 3, Le Havre (Ire)–Leaupartie (Ire), by Stormy River (Fr). O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Franklin Finance SA (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €228,600.
3–Grand Glory (GB), 126, f, 3, Olympic Glory (Ire)–Madonna Lily (Ire), by Daylami (Ire). (€18,000 Ylg '17 AROCT). O-Albert Frassetto, John d'Amato & Mike Pietrangelo; B-Elevage Haras de Bourgeauville (GB); T-Gianluca Bietolini. €114,300.
Margins: HD, HF, NK. Odds: 9.00, 5.30, 28.00.
Also Ran: Etoile (Fr), Cala Tarida (GB), Siyarafina (Fr), Wonderment (Ire), Platane (GB), Ebony (Fr), Entitle (GB), Noor Sahara (Ire), Paramount (Fr), Cartiem (Fr), Nausha (GB), Amarena (Fr), Morning Dew (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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