Shes Perfect Seeks Compensation In The Diane

[Wandering Eyes]

Taken down after the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Shes Perfect (Sioux Nation) has a second bite of the cherry on Sunday in Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane Longines. Whether or not the pride and joy of the Basher Watts Racing Club would have mastered Zarigana in the ParisLongchamp Classic had she stayed on a true line is a matter of conjecture, but we know after her two fights with that Aga Khan Studs blueblood this term that she belongs in the top echelon of her generation.

While this 10 1/2-furlong test is far less likely to suit her on pedigree than her chief rival Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), trainer Charlie Fellowes is hopeful she has the requisite staying power. Early evidence of Sioux Nation's progeny points to middle distances not being so much of a problem as expected provided the damsire injects it and she has the all-important Galileo factor on that side.

“This has been the plan pretty much since the French Guineas and we had the choice between this or the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, but I always thought she would stay at least 10 furlongs and we felt this was the right time to try it,” he said. “She's in good order and hasn't missed a beat since Longchamp and she's travelled over well. They've had a bit of rain which is welcome and will hopefully take the sting out of the ground, which is ideal.”

“It's a good race and there is plenty in there to beat. Mandanaba ran a screamer in the Guineas and on pedigree should have no problem staying further,” he added. “Aidan has two in there who always have to be respected, so it is no walk over by any stretch of the imagination. But we're really looking forward to seeing her run and hopefully she can go over there and do the business.”

Mandanaba was a length behind the front pair in the Pouliches, which in every book is a highly creditable effort given her leaning towards at least a mile and a half on pedigree. Potentially a stayer with lethal speed, the daughter of Mandesha had already won the nine-furlong G3 Prix Vanteaux and will be able to run at a more suitable tempo over this extra trip.

Nemone Routh echoed that reasoning. “Her breeding would suggest she'll be better over a mile and a quarter,” the manager for the Aga Khan Studs said of the key member of a formidable Francis-Henri Graffard trio. “We hesitated for a long time over whether to run in the Prix Saint-Alary or put her in the Group 1 Classic over a mile, because it is a Classic and you don't get many opportunities when the horse is well to run at that level in that type of race. She ran a great race, it was only her third run and she got left a little bit on her own on the inside and she was very game.”

“She's a very genuine filly who shows quite a lot of speed early in her races and we think she's a filly who likes good, fast ground,” she added. “She's not a big filly, but she's quite strong and it's a nice story in that she's the last foal of her dam Mandesha, who was retired after she foaled her. Mandesha was a champion for Princess Zahra who won three Group 1s over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half, which is quite a rare achievement and it's nice to find some of her quality in her last foal.”

Graffard has another out of a star mare in Germance, White Birch Farm's Gezora (Almanzor) was third in the Vanteaux and stepped up to win the G2 Prix Saint-Alary last month and has the inside draw, which is often a boon here. Having also won the Saint-Alary in its former guise as a Group 1, Germance was second to Confidential Lady in the 2006 renewal of this prize so it would be fitting if Gezora was able to get her top-level success and avenge that defeat. The stable's Listed Prix Finlande winner Cankoura (Persian King) has something to do to get to the level of Gezora and Mandanaba and has a wide draw to hinder here.

Also posted on the outer are the Pouliches fifth and sixth Better Together (Oasis Dream) and sixth Bedtime Story (Frankel), with the latter still a work in progress having given too much of herself with that electric display in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Over middle distances for the first time, she will have ample time to ease into proceedings and the key will be how she settles throughout the early stages.

 

Floats Like A Butterfly, Stings Like A Bee

Chantilly's action begins with the G3 Prix du Bois Longines for the 2-year-olds over six furlongs, where A'Ali's flagbearer Ali Shuffle looks to stay in the winning groove for Nick Bradley Racing and Karl Burke. Successful twice since 2018, he also saddles another filly in Iffraaj's Meelaf and the chances are that they will be too streetwise for the Listed Prix des Reves d'Or winner Imperial Me Cen (Mehmas) as so often seems the case when the English come for these French sprint juvenile tests. In the 12-furlong G3 Prix du Lys Longines, the Listed Prix de l'Avre winner Surabad (Bated Breath) meets the G3 Prix Hocquart scorer Rafale Design (Starspangledbanner). By the time Surabad's progressive stablemate Zabiari (Wootton Bassett) takes aim at the G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines over a mile, this could be yet another banner day for the Graffard stable.

The post Shes Perfect Seeks Compensation In The Diane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article