Raven’s Pass’s Royal Marine Takes the Lagardere

[Wandering Eyes]

   Much of the talk before Sunday’s G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp centred around the home-trained Anodor (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), but the Freddy Head sensation had to give best behind a Godolphin-Ballydoyle tussle won by Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven’s Pass). Having let the side down on debut, the bay beat the subsequent dual winner and TDN Rising Star Turgenev (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a seven-furlong Doncaster maiden next time Sept. 14, clocking a faster time than the same card’s Listed Flying Scotsman S. winner Sangarius (GB) (Kingman {GB}) carrying five pounds more. Sent off at nearly 6-1, he raced keenly initially before settling in the able hands of Oisin Murphy tracking Aidan O’Brien’s representative Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) who was placed on the front end by Ryan Moore to counter his customary lethargy. Gaining the edge with 300 metres remaining, the Godolphin homebred asserted to score by a neck, with the 4-5 favourite Anodor, who had been described by Freddy Head before the race as the best 2-year-old he had trained, staying on too late to be 3/4-of-a-length away in third. For Saeed bin Suroor, the win represented a watershed moment coming out of a relatively quiet spell. “Last year, I didn’t really have the horses, but this year Sheikh Mohammed has sent me some nice horses and they are doing well,” he said. “He’s a big strong horse who could be anything and it is exciting for the future. I’ll speak to Sheikh Mohammed and we’ll make a plan.” Murphy added, “He’s a very good horse, low on experience but with plenty of ability. They went slow and we got racing early. I was wary not to get to Ryan too soon, as Royal Marine has a lot of pace but I got away with it.”

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX JEAN-LUC LAGARDERE – GRAND CRITERIUM (SPONSORISE PAR MANATEQ)-G1, €400,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-7, 2yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:39.10, gd.
1–ROYAL MARINE (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Raven’s Pass
1st Dam: Inner Secret, by Singspiel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mysterial, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Mysteries, by Seattle Slew
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Oisin Murphy. €228,560. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €239,498. *1/2 to Crystal River (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), SW-Fr; and Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), GSP-UAE, $224,564. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Broome (Ire), 126, c, 2, Australia (GB)–Sweepstake (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (€120,000 RNA Ylg ’17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg ’17 TATDEY). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €91,440.
3–Anodor (Fr), 126, c, 2, Anodin (Ire)–Decize (Fr), by Kentucky Dynamite. (€32,000 RNA Ylg ’17 ARAUG). O-Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard & Mme Frederic Head; B-I D Fair (FR); T-Freddy Head. €45,720.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 5.80, 5.90, 0.80.
Also Ran: Boitron (Fr), Shaman (Ire), Dark Jedi (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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