By Sean Cronin
Fabrice Chappet trainee Safia (Sottsass), a debut scorer at ParisLongchamp in October, opened this year with a TDN Rising Star performance at Saint-Cloud in March and bounced back off a fifth in a hot renewal of April's G3 Prix de la Grotte to secure a career high in Sunday's Listed Prix Melisande at ParisLongchamp. Employing waiting tactics in fifth until turning for home, she careered forward to seize control with 300 metres remaining and was ridden out in the closing stages to defeat Ilda Rosa (Lope De Vega) and La Bonne Etoile (Sea The Moon) by 1 1/2 lengths and a head. Safia becomes the first stakes winner for her sire, who now stands at the Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan.
“She's a very nice filly who won well first time out in October and she won again first time out this year,” said trainer Fabrice Chappet. “We knew from the start she would have no problem staying a mile-and-a-quarter. We skipped the [G1 Poule d'Essai des] Pouliches because going one mile on fast ground against the best fillies would have been tough. She could now go for the [G3] Prix de Psyche at Deauville.”
Safia is the first of two foals and lone scorer out of an unraced half-sister to G3 Prix Chloe victrix Suphala (Frankel) and the stakes-winning G3 Prix du Calvados third Sivoliere (Sea The Stars). The latter produced the dual stakes-placed Doctor Carl (Fastnet Rock). The February-foaled bay's second dam, Listed Prix de Lieurey victrix and GIII Noble Damsel Handicap third Sefroua (Kingmambo), is a half-sister to G1 Cheveley Park Stakes third Pursuit Of Glory (Fusaichi Pegasus) out of G1 Coronation Stakes heroine Sophisticat (Storm Cat). Sophisticat is a daughter of celebrated US champion Serena's Song (Rahy), who struck gold 11 times at the highest level. Safia is a half-sister to the unraced 2-year-old colt Noble Memory (Zarak).
Safia returns to winning ways at ParisLongchamp! 🇫🇷
The daughter of Sottsass has too many gears for her rivals and claims the Listed Prix Melisande with a comfortable success! pic.twitter.com/4ZOLWoaaCS
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 8, 2025
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX MELISANDE-Listed, €55,000, ParisLongchamp, 6-8, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:06.54, sf.
1–SAFIA (FR), 123, f, 3, by Sottsass (Fr)
1st Dam: Stay Home (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sefroua, by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Sophisticat, by Storm Cat
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Ecurie David R Layani Famille, Haras d'Etreham, Riviera Equine SARL & Craig Bernick; B-Haras d'Etreham, Glen Hill Farm & Riviera Equine SARL; T-Fabrice Chappet; J-Cristian Demuro. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, €70,500.
2–Ilda Rosa (GB), 123, f, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Zhukova (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O/B-Godolphin; T-Henri-Alex Pantall. €11,000.
3–La Bonne Etoile (Ire), 123, f, 3, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Newsletter (Ire), by Sir Percy (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€50,000 RNA Wlg '22 GOFNOV; €110,000 Ylg '23 GOFORB). O-Alexis Adamian; B-Ballylinch Stud; T-Nicolas Clement & Flo Hermans. €8,250.
Margins: 1HF, HD, HD. Odds: 1.20, 2.60, 10.00.
Also Ran: Badie (Fr), La Brodeuse (GB), Champagne Dancer (Fr), Bintabuha (Ire). Scratched: Zawan (Fr).
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