American Post’s Castellar Prevails in the Cleopatre

[Wandering Eyes]

   Castellar, who was just over three lengths off the winner when an Oct.25 debut fifth going one mile here in her sole juvenile start, opened this campaign with a Mar. 22 two-length tally tackling the same trip at Fontainebleau and lined up for this black-type bow returning off a second, again going one mile, at ParisLongchamp last time Apr. 19. Racing in fourth until inching into second at halfway, she made smooth headway in the straight to challenge at the quarter-mile marker and was driven out once seizing control with 300 metres remaining to hold the subsequently demoted Luminate (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) for a career high. “I was disappointed when she was beaten last time as I really thought she would win,” admitted trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias. “However, we learned that she needed further than a mile and that we should not employ exaggerated waiting tactics, and that is thanks to [jockey] Oliver Peslier. If she had won that race then I would have run her in the [G1 Poule d’Essai des] Pouliches, but that would have been a mistake. We are now on the right path with her and will bring her back in the [June 17 G1] Prix de Diane [at Chantilly].”
   Castellar is the second pattern-race winner for Highphar (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}), with the other being this month’s G2 Prix du Muguet hero Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper), who annexed last term’s G2 Prix Greffulhe and G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange and ran third in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Her granddam Pharatta (Ire) (Fairy King) landed the GII Garden City Breeders’ Cup H. and also features as the second dam of G3 Premio Verziere victrix Cartaya (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). Pharatta is also a sibling of G2 Premio Ribot and G2 Grosser Preis von Dusseldorf hero and sire Crimson Tide (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), G3 Give Thanks S. victress Tamarind (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) and Listed Claire Marine S. winner Arosa (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). The third dam Shademah (Ire) (Thatch) is kin to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Shakapour (Ire) (Kalamoun {GB}) and is also the dam of the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby hero Shahrastani (Nijinsky II). Highphar’s youngest progeny is an as yet unraced 2-y-o filly by Whipper named Villalar (Fr).

Monday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX CLEOPATRE-G3, €80,000, Saint-Cloud, 5-21, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:11.70, gd.
1–CASTELLAR (FR), 123, f, 3, by American Post (GB)
1st Dam: Highphar (Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr)
2nd Dam: Pharatta (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Sharata (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-SARL Darpat France (FR); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, €63,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Amazing Lips (Ire), 123, f, 3, Camelot (GB)–Athenaire (Ire), by Duke of Marmalade (Ire). (€130,000 Ylg ’16 BBAGS). O-Mayfair Speculators SARL; B-Stall Parthenaue (IRE); T-Nicolas Clement. €16,000.
3–Beagling (Fr), 123, f, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Turfontein (Fr), by Kahyasi (Ire). O/B-Mulungu Bloodstock (FR); T-Fabrice Chappet. €12,000.
Margins: (SNK, 3/4, 3). Odds: 7.80, 13.00, 32.00.
Also Ran: Enchanting Skies (Ire), *Luminate (Ire), Hello Princess (Fr), Princesschope (Fr), Velma Valento (Fr), Berea (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
*Luminate was demoted from second to fifth.

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