Europe
Starspangledbanner's Precise powers to impressive Fillies' Mile triumph
Coolmore's G3 Prestige Stakes and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Precise (Starspangledbanner) added to her impressive palmares with a stunning performance in Friday's G1 Newmarket Fillies' Mile, dominating the latter stages to register a 22nd Group 1 success of the season, and a record seventh renewal, for Aidan O'Brien.
“She impressed me when she won at the Curragh and I knew she had a good turn of foot,” commented winning hoop Christophe Soumillon. “She was a little bit nervous in the stalls and that's why she missed the jump. I was hoping to be a little bit closer, but she cruised the whole way. I didn't want to come there too soon and I think I still got there too soon. She's a really nice filly and she'll handle the mile easily next year.”
“She's (Precise) a really nice filly and she'll handle the mile easily next year.” - Christophe Soumillon
Soumillon, stepping in for a fifth elite-level triumph after replacing the injured Ryan Moore as Ballydoyle's go-to jockey, guided the 5-4 favourite towards the stands' side after breaking in rear from a far-side stall and employed patient tactics through halfway.
“She looks serious and it reminded me of Minding, she was impressive and it was incredible really,” the winning trainer beamed. “She's doing everything so easy and Christophe was left in front a lot longer than he would have liked, but he was brilliant on her.
“She looks serious and it reminded me of Minding, she was impressive and it was incredible really.” - Aidan O'Brien
"She's a total natural athlete so you never do too much at home with her, but these races like this and the (G1 Prix Marcel) Boussac, you like to see them in these so you know what you have and you're not kidding yourself going into next year. We always hoped she would be a Classic filly and here in Newmarket there is nowhere to hide. She sailed down to the two-furlong pole and at that point you thought she was going to win. By the time she got to the furlong pole it was over.”
Indicating a tilt at the Breeders' Cup is off the agenda, O'Brien added, “She looks very special and everything she has done from day one has been so easy, so we were never sure how good she was. I'd say we will put her away, she looks like she could be anything and we'll train her for the Classics. The sky is the limit for her.”
Pedigree notes: Precise is the sixth of eight foals and the leading performer from three winners out of full-sister to stakes-winning G1 Irish Derby and G1 Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher, G3 Killavullan Stakes third Cocoon, and G3 Gallinule Stakes third Finn McCool. Her Listed Ruby Stakes-winning second dam Mystical Lady (Halling), who ran third in the G3 Solonaway Stakes, is kin to a trio of black-type winners headed by G3 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial victor and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Furner's Green (Dylan Thomas). The May-foaled chestnut is kin to a yearling colt and a weanling filly by Wootton Bassett.
Beauvatier bounces back in the Challenge
Beauvatier (Lope De Vega) may have come into Friday's G2 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on the back of a minor slump, but he proved much the best of the line-up to restore confidence. Delivered by Alexis Pouchin to overwhelm Poet Master (Lope De Vega) inside the final furlong, the 7-1 shot registered a two and a quarter-length success as the 2-1 favourite Cosmic Year (Kingman) disappointed in third.
“He was very relaxed today, perfect, as he can be difficult sometimes and can pull,” Pouchin said of the Yann Barberot-trained winner, a dual Group 3 scorer with four top-level placings.
Alex Solis, racing manager to part-owners LNJ Foxwoods SC, said, “It was amazing, as it has been a tough year for him this year. We finally found out today that he wants a bit more cover and a little more distance and he was very impressive.”
“We finally found out today that he wants a bit more cover and a little more distance and he was very impressive.” - Alex Solis
“In the Group 1s this year, he never got cover and was a little rank, so today he just grabbed him out of the gate. Yann wanted him covered up, and he was right so he deserves all the credit. We were lucky to buy a piece of him and Nicolas des Chambure was right on the money.”
“We were thinking he could be a nice stallion prospect, but maybe there might be more to running him internationally.” - Alex Solis
“Truthfully I don't know what we will do with him and we were thinking he could be a nice stallion prospect, but maybe there might be more to running him internationally. We're very fortunate to have that problem.”
Pedigree notes: Beauvatier is the first of three currently known foals out of the Listed-placed Enchanting Skies (Sea The Stars), with the second being the G3 Prix Miesque runner-up Lhakpa (Siyouni) and the third the unraced 2-year-old colt Operator (Night Of Thunder), who was a €850,000 purchase by Blandford Bloodstock at last year's Arqana Deauville August. A half to the Preis von Europa hero Empoli (Halling), she hails from the high-class multiple Group winner Elle Danzig (Roi Danzig).
