Philomene the Focus at Saint-Cloud

[Wandering Eyes]

   Saint-Cloud stages the first Pattern-race Classic trial of 2021 on Tuesday, with the G3 Prix Penelope featuring Godolphin, Ecurie des Monceaux and Ecurie Skymarc Farm's exciting Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). A half-sister to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and the G1 MacKinnon S. and G2 Ribblesdale S. heroine Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Andre Fabre-trained filly was the €1.625-million topper of the 2019 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale and was off the mark by a short neck from the subsequent G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Tasmania (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) in a debutantes contest over a mile at ParisLongchamp on her sole start in September.

Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard said, “Philomene is a quality filly who has wintered well but is from a late-maturing family, so Andre Fabre expects her to continue to improve. She has only one run under her belt and goes straight into this Group 3 as the least-experienced in the field.”

Others who step out on the Prix de Diane trail are Al Shaqab Racing and Coolmore's unbeaten Divertissement (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), who has two provincial wins behind her and is the chosen representative of Jean-Claude Rouget, and the Wertheimers' Anasia (GB) (Intello {Ger}). Another Fabre trainee, she took the 10-furlong Listed Prix Rose de Mai here Mar. 11 and sets a decent standard for her stablemate to meet.

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