Le Havre’s Platane Garners Vanteaux Glory

[Wandering Eyes]

   Not as exposed as G3 Prix La Force-winning stablemate Shaman (Ire) (Shamardal), Platane (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) nonetheless made up for her lack of game time and justified odds-on favouritism with a determined effort to garner Sunday’s G3 Prix Vanteaux at ParisLongchamp. Yet another off the Alain and Gerard Wertheimer production line, the homebred chestnut opened up with an Oct. 25 debut third tackling one mile at Deauville and shed maiden status with a stylish success over this trip on Chantilly’s synthetic surface in her only other outing Mar. 12. Platane made an alert break and occupied a stalking role in third until taking closer order in the straight. Looming large passing the quarter-mile marker, the crowd’s 9-10 pick hooked up with Etoile (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) entering the final eighth and was ridden out to deny that rival by an ultimately snug neck for a career high. “We studied the race carefully beforehand and identified the frontrunners and where the pace would come from,” revealed trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias. “We wanted to sit right behind on the outside as I didn’t want a filly with such a big stride to be hemmed in along the fence. She’s a progressive filly with plenty of class, Maxime [Guyon] rode her to perfection and told me he was always in control. We will now follow the programme for 3-year-old fillies and she’ll come back here for the [May 26 G1] Prix Saint-Alary.”
   Platane, kin to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Humble (GB) (Cacique {Ire}), is the second foal and lone winner produced by a winning sibling of four black-type performers headed by G3 Prix Minerve victress Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and G3 Prix du Lys winner Goldwaki (Ger) (Dalakhani {Ire}). Her second dam is G3 Prix Cleopatre victress Gold Round (Ire) (Caerleon), herself kin to a swathe of black-type performers including storied MG1SW champion Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Galikova (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}) and MG1SP sire Anodin (Ire) (Anabaa).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX VANTEAUX-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-7, 3yo, f, 9fT, 1:51.69, gd.
1–PLATANE (GB), 126, f, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
1st Dam: Modestie (Fr), by Nayef
2nd Dam: Gold Round (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (IRE); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias; J-Maxime Guyon. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, €59,050. Werk Nick Rating: First SW from this cross. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Etoile (Fr), 126, f, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Milena’s Dream (Ire), by Authorized (Ire). (€160,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG). O-Ecurie Philippe Segalot; B-Mme Dominique Ades Hazan, Mme Geraldine Henochsberg & Patrick Fellous (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €16,000.
3–Lady Te (Ger), 126, f, 3, Tertullian–Lady Luck (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). O-Alain Jathiere, Mme Janina Burger & Torsten Raber; B-Gestut Schlenderhan (GER); T-Carina Fey. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 4HF, 1. Odds: 0.90, 2.70, 18.00.
Also Ran: Alimnia (Fr), Suquitho (Fr), High Ball (Fr), Fan Zone (Fr), Zighidi (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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