Le Havre’s Port Guillaume Back On Song in Normandy

[Wandering Eyes]

Claudio Marzocco, Bernard Benaych and Jean-Claude Rouget’s Port Guillaume (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) lost his unbeaten tag when a never-nearer fifth in Chantilly’s July 5 G1 Prix du Jockey Club and bounced back in style, racing in the Marzocco silks, to annex Saturday’s G2 Prix Hocquart Longines at Deauville. Unraced as a juvenile, he was an early riser this term with victories at Cagnes-sur-Mer in January and February and continued in similar vein post-lockdown with a May 12 Saint-Cloud conditions success before suffering his lone reversal last month. On the front end passing the judge first time and remaining there throughout the 12 1/2-furlong stamina test, the 7-5 favourite was nudged along soon after turning for home and stayed on strongly under mild rousting inside the final quarter mile to score by three lengths, with Ketil (Karakontie {Jpn}) edging out Pao Alto (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) by a nose for second.

“He ran a great race in the Prix du Jockey Club, but had been left with too much to do,” said trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. “I didn’t want to take any chances this time and wanted a positive ride to avoid being caught in a race with no pace so that class could tell. It went as I had hoped and he is a nice colt who will now head straight to the [Sept. 13] G1 Grand Prix de Paris [at ParisLongchamp].”

Port Guillaume, the third of five foals, is one of three scorers from as many runners out of a winning full-sister to G2 Balanchine and G3 Prix de Psyche runner-up Anahita (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) and G2 Prix de la Nonette placegetter Lakalas (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}). His dam Keira (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}), who is also a half-sister to Listed Grand Prix de Bordeaux victor Shutterbug (Fr) (Soldier of Fortune (Ire), produced last term’s Listed Prix Pelleas victor Aubevoye (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), the 2-year-old colt Portbail (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}) and a yearling colt by Recorder (GB). Descendants of Port Guillaume’s third dam Nasriyda (Fr) (Darshaan {GB}) include this year’s G3 Schwarzgold-Rennen victress and G2 German 1000 Guineas runner-up No Limit Credit (Ger) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with this being the immediate family of G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Natroun (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}).

Saturday, Deauville, France
PRIX HOCQUART LONGINES-G2, €90,000, Deauville, 8-8, 3yo, 12 1/2fT, 2:38.23, g/s.
1–PORT GUILLAUME (FR), 128 c, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
1st Dam: Keira (Fr), by Turtle Bowl (Ire)
2nd Dam: Nazlia (Fr), by Polish Precedent
3rd Dam: Nasriyda (Fr), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€55,000 Ylg ’18 AROCT). O-Claudio Marzocco, Bernard Benaych & Jean-Claude Rouget; B-Franklin Finance SA, Mme Elisabeth Ribard & Sylvain Vidal (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €51,300. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, €115,540. *Full to Aubevoye (Fr), SW-Fr, $162,259. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ketil, 128, c, 3, Karakontie (Jpn)–Matroshka (Ire), by Red Ransom. (35,000gns Wlg ’17 TATFOA; €50,000 Ylg ’18 ARAUG). O-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd, Alan Cooper & Pascal Bary; B-Matroshka Syndicate (KY); T-Pacal Bary. €19,800.
3–Pao Alto (Fr), 128, c, 3, Intello (Ger)–Peaceful Love (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB). (€160,000 Ylg ’16 ARAUG). O-Wertheimer & Frere; B-La Motteraye EARL & Gerard L Ferron (FR); T-Christophe Ferland. €9,450.
Margins: 3, NO, NK. Odds: 1.40, 13.00, 3.00.
Also Ran: Dick Whittington (Fr), Volkan Star (Ire), Tuscan Gaze (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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