Cape Cross Filly Diane-Bound After the Penelope

[Wandering Eyes]

Earning a tilt at black-type with a conditions win over 10 1/2 furlongs at Saint-Cloud Mar. 30, Ecurie Tepper, Ecurie des Charmes and Gerard Augustin-Normand’s Cartiem (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}) went back to that course and distance to justify the faith of connections in Wednesday’s G3 Prix Penelope. With the exciting Fabre runner Secret Walk (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) scratched, there were just four left to contest this trial for the June 16 G1 Prix de Diane and Christophe Soumillon was quickly dictating moderate fractions on Phoceene (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) with Cartiem free in the hands of Cristian Demuro in second. Left trailing by the front-runner in early straight, the bay who traded as the third-favourite at just over 2-1 managed to rally and cut down that rival in the final metres for a neck success. “Christophe did a good job slowing down the pace and my filly was a little keen in behind as a result,” winning trainer Jean-Claude Rouget commented. “I didn’t think she could win that, but she showed a very good turn of foot like all good horses have and she had shown that last time too. The Penelope has been put back a little bit in the calendar this year and the timing to the Diane is now perfect for light fillies like her. That’s where we are going now and I think we’ve not seen the best of her yet, so we have to be hopeful.”

Wednesday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX PENELOPE-G3, €80,000, Saint-Cloud, 5-1, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:16.14, gd.
1–CARTIEM (FR), 126, f, 3, by Cape Cross (Ire)
1st Dam: Mintaka (Fr), by Zamindar
2nd Dam: Minatlya (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Mintly Fresh, by Rubiano
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€140,000 Ylg ’17 AROCT). O-SARL Ecurie Jean-Louis Tepper, Ecurie des Charmes & Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Rashit Shaykhutdinov, Haras du Mezeray SA & Christophe Clement (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, €71,000. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Phoceene (Fr), 126, f, 3, Olympic Glory (Ire)–Atlantic Slew (Fr), by Helissio (Fr). (€47,000 Ylg ’17 ARQAUG). O-Haras de la Gousserie; B-SCEA Haras du Ma & Mme Elise Drouet (FR); T-Frederic Rossi. €16,000.
3–Romanciere (Ire), 126, f, 3, Dansili (GB)–Balladeuse (Fr), by Singspiel (Ire). O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 3. Odds: 2.10, 1.90, 1.20.
Also Ran: Agnes (Fr). Scratched: Secret Walk (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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