By Tom Frary
There was a hint of Spring despite the expected February cold at Chantilly on Friday and also a sign of the initial shoots of the upcoming Flat season with some big operations represented on the course's Polytrack. Among them was George Strawbridge's homebred Kryon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Darkova, by Maria's Mon), a Victoria Head-trained half-brother to Wootton Bassett's champion Almanzor (Fr) who made his 3-year-old bow a relatively impressive one in the colts' division of the fixture's pair of 9 1/2-furlong maidens.
Not seen since finishing third on his sole juvenile start over an inadequate 7 1/2-furlong trip at Saint-Cloud in October, the 3-1 second favourite raced under cover in mid-pack early before given the command by Christophe Soumillon in early straight. In front with 300 metres remaining, he stretched to a three-length dismissal of the Christopher Head-trained 12-5 favourite Zodd (Ire) (U S Navy Flag).
(C. Soumillon – V. Head) ouvre son palmarès dans le Prix du Four à Tuile sur l'hippodrome de Chantilly.
Frère utérin d' par , il avait débuté par une troisième place le 10 octobre dernier dans un lot de poulains estimés et… pic.twitter.com/ZZBOg47io2
— Equidia (@equidia) February 28, 2025
Alongside the aforementioned G1 Prix du Jockey Club, G1 Champion Stakes and G1 Irish Champion Stakes hero Almanzor, the dam is also responsible for three other black-type performers including the G3 Prix de Guiche-placed Another Sky (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). From the family of Wootton Bassett's GIII Franklin-Simpson Stakes scorer Guildsman (Fr) and the European Champion Darjina (Fr) (Zamindar), her 2-year-old colt Enoch (Ire) is by Frankel (GB), while her 2024 filly by Lope De Vega (Ire) sadly died this year.
5th-Chantilly, €27,000, Mdn, 2-28, 3yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT), 1:56.08, st.
KRYON (GB) (c, 3, Sea The Stars {Ire}–Darkova, by Maria's Mon) Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, €18,000. O/B-George Strawbridge (GB); T-Victoria Head.
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