Another Roll Of The Dice For Chappet

[Wandering Eyes]

CHANTILLY, France—Almost a year on from landing his first Group 1 victory with Precieuse (Ire) (Tamayuz (GB) in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, Fabrice Chappet is hoping that Dice Roll (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) can put him back in the spotlight in the colts’ version of the French Classic on May 13.

Giacomo Algranti’s colt, who will reach his official third birthday just two days ahead of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, posted an impressive five-length win on his seasonal debut in Monday’s G3 Prix Djebel at Deauville. He showed no ill effects from those exertions as he stretched out for an easy canter with Precieuse’s former rider Jose Serra on Chantilly’s Piste des Lions on Saturday morning under the gaze of both owner and trainer.

Dice Roll, who has been beaten just once when fourth in the listed Prix Francois Boutin during four starts last season, also holds an entry for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club but would need to be supplemented for the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas on Apr. 30 if connections decide to opt for a tilt at the English Classic.

“He came out of the race perfectly, and he looks even better than he did before the race. I’m very happy with him. I think we’ll probably stay in France. He’s the best-rated 3-year-old in the country now and he’s an exciting horse,” said Chappet, who has seen the numbers in his stable boosted following his most successful season yet in 2017. Among the new owners in his Lamorlaye yard are two of his recently retired Chantilly training colleagues, Francois Doumen and Elie Lellouche.

Dice Roll’s Parisian-based Italian owner Algranti added, “I have never known a horse with such a good temperament. He sleeps before the races. At Deauville he was asleep 20 minutes beforehand. He saves all his energy for his racing and that’s why we think he might get ten furlongs [in the Jockey Club] because he’s so relaxed. But we’ll see. We don’t know for sure that we’ll go that way. We’ll take one race at a time.”

Chappet also issued an update on another progressive 3-year-old in his care, the Donald Trump-inspired Stable Genius (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who was third to Chilean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) in last Sunday’s G3 Prix La Force on just his second start.

“That was a very good effort second time out,” said the trainer. “It was a big step from winning his maiden in March to a Group race but we don’t have any other options in France. He’s still a very immature horse, not even a 3-year-old yet as he was born on 29 April. He’s improving and there’s plenty to look forward to with him. He probably goes either for the Prix de Guiche on 2 May or the Prix de Suresnes, which is a listed race at Longchamp on his birthday.”

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