First Group One Winner For Helmet
The colt, who ran a close fourth to Churchill (Galileo) in the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) at Newmarket at his last start, travelled well in behind the leader in the early stages under Christophe Soumillon.
Bay Of Poets (Lope De Vega) led the field into the home straight at an honest gallop, but Thunder Snow cruised into the lead on the stands rail at the 500 metres and quickly drew clear under hands and heels riding to beat the Group Three winner South Seas (Lope De Vega) by five lengths, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Promise To Be True (Galileo) a further length and three quarter adrift in third.
The result provided Darley reverse shuttler Helmet (Exceed And Excel), a three time Group One winner when trained by Peter Snowden, with his first Group One winner.
The Andre Fabre-trained Waldgeist (2 c Galileo – Waldlerche by Monsun) took out the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) at Saint-Cloud later on Sunday.
The colt ran third to Frankuus (Frankel) in the Prix de Conde (Gr 3, 1800m) at Chantilly at his last start, and, having been ridden patiently in midfield by jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot, he was brought to the stands rail in the straight to deliver his challenge.
Waldgeist came through under strong pressure to lead approaching the 300 metres and kept on well to assert in the closing stages, beating Godolphin’s Best Solution (Kodiac) by a length, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite Capri (Galileo) a further half a length away in a never nearer third.
Dame Du Roi (2 f Dark Angel – Uruguay by Authorized) ran out a ready winner of the Prix Miesque (Gr 3, 1400m) at Maisons-Laffitte on Tuesday.
The Freddy Head-trained filly, an easy winner of the Prix Saraca (Listed, 1300m) in September, was always travelling smoothly in rear in the hands of regular rider Aurelien Lemaitre.
She quickened to lead approaching the 150 metres and was eased in the closing stages to beat Kambura (Literato) by a length, with Thais (Rio De La Plata) just a head further behind in a fast-finishing third.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor enjoyed further stakes success last week, courtesy of the unbeaten Really Special (2 f Shamardal – Rumh by Monsun) in the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 1m) at Newmarket on Saturday.
The filly, who is now unbeaten in two starts having broken her maiden over six furlongs at Chelmsford on 6 October, made all the running under Jim Crowley and quickened clear approaching the final furlong to beat another Godolphin-raced runner in Kazimiera (Dubawi) by two and three quarter lengths, with Island Vision (Arcano) a further half a length behind in third.
The Philip McBride-trained Spiritual Lady (2 f Pastoral Pursuits – Rouge Dancer by Elusive City) took out the Bosra Sham EBF Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 6f) in good style at Newmarket on Friday.
Bought for just £9,000 at the Doncaster Silver Sale in 2015, the filly travelled powerfully in rear under Frankie Dettori and showed a smart turn of foot to sweep past her rivals inside the final furlong, beating Spy Ring (Bushranger) by a length and a half, who in turn was a length ahead of Mystic Dawn (Oasis Dream) in third.
Dubai Sand (2 c Teofilo – Bring Back Matron by Rock Of Gibraltar) won the Eyrefield Stakes (Listed, 1m1f) at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The Jim Bolger-trained and Godolphin-owned colt led approaching the four furlong marker and ran on gamely to fend off Diodorus (Galileo) by half a length, with Youarewonder (Thewayyouare) a further length and a half behind in third.
Three-year-olds
Son Macia (3 f Soldier Hollow – Sinaada by Zinaad) showed a good attitude to win the Grosser Preis der Besitzervereinigung (Gr 3, 2200m) at Hanover on Saturday.
The Andreas Lowe-trained filly was ridden close to the pace by Ian Ferguson, and the pair moved up to contest the lead approaching the final 400 metres.
Following a prolonged battle with Nazbanou (High Chaparral) inside the final 300 metres, Son Macia edged ahead in the last strides to win by a neck, with Gambissara (Adlerflug) a further three quarters of a length behind in third.
German raider Princess Asta (3 f Canford Cliffs – Lune Rouge by Unfuwain) took out the Premio Chiusura (Gr 3, 1400m) at San Siro in Milan on Saturday.
The Mario Hofer-trained filly was slowly into stride in the hands of Carlo Fiocchi, but gradually moved through the field to deliver a challenge approaching the 300 metres.
Once asked to quicken, she stretched clear in good style to beat the front-running Dream Mover (Dream Ahead) by a length and a quarter, with Sadalmelik (Aussie Rules) a further length and a half adrift in third place.
Older horses
The Jean-Pierre Carvalho-trained Guignol (4 c Cape Cross – Guadalupe by Monsun) caused an upset in the Grosser Preis Von Bayern (Gr 1, 2400m) at Munich on Tuesday.
The colt, who had finished a well-held sixth in the Premio Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2400m) at San Siro on 16 October, was sent straight into the lead by Michael Cadeddu and was allowed to ease clear approaching half way by his rivals.
The 33-1 shot Guignol still held a healthy advantage turning into the home straight and galloped on resolutely to fend off Saeed bin Suroor’s Racing History (Pivotal), a last start sixth in the Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) by a length and three quarters, while the Charlie Appleby-trained Eclipse Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) winner Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) was just a nose further behind in third.
Guignol’s stablemate and short-priced favourite Savoir Vivre (Adlerflug), who ran eighth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) at his last start, was never able to land a blow and came home in fifth.
Siyoushake (4 f Siyouni – Shakeyourbody by Giant’s Causeway) was a comfortable winner of the Prix Perth (Gr 3, 1600m) at Saint-Cloud on Sunday.
A last-start fourth to Alice Springs (Galileo) in the Sun Chariot Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket, the Freddy Head-trained filly quickened clear at the 200 metres to beat British raider Crazy Horse (Sleeping Indian) by a length and three quarters, with Kourkan (American Post) just a head further behind in third.
The Didier Guillemin-trained The Right Man (4 g Lope De Vega – Three Owls by Warning) ran out and authoritative winner of the Prix de Seine-et-Oise (Gr 3, 1200m) at Maisons-Laffitte on Tuesday.
The gelding made smooth headway from off the pace under Francois-Xavier Bertras and stretched clear inside the final 300 metres to beat Porthilly (Pivotal) by two lengths, with the same distance back to La Rioja (Hellvelyn) in third.