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Falmouth Stakes 2012 |
Giofra Takes Falmouth Stakes for France
13/07/12
1 Giofra 10/1
2 Elusive Kate 25/1
3 Siyouma 33/1
NR: Chachamaidee (IRE)
10 ran Distances: ½l, ¾l, 3¾l
TIME 1m 42.14s (slow by 5.74s)
Christophe Soumillon ensured that the Eithad Airways Falmouth Stakes would again go for export to France after securing a half-length success aboard Giofra.
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Goldikova landed the mile Group One event for France three years ago and Giofra followed suit with her 10/1 triumph.
Giofra, who chased home Cirrus Des Aigles last time out, held on by half a length from Elusive Kate, with fellow French raider Siyouma taking third.
Winning trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said: “It is my pleasure to win with a filly like this as she comes from a good stud and has a lot of quality.
“I expected her to win as she is a great filly. She had leg trouble at the beginning of her three-year-old campaign but came back a new filly at four. She was very good at three - she was ready to run but she had a problem with small bone two days before she was due to run. She had an operation and we had to wait - that’s why she came back very late.
“We have known for a long time that she is a great filly. She ran very well twice this year and she was very fresh - she won very easily and was an easy second.
“She goes on all ground so I was not concerned about that and we came here instead of the Eclipse Stakes last weekend to keep her against her own sex.
“I think she will be better over 10 furlongs. We can keep her to the mile or step up in distance for a race like the Nassau Stakes in a few weeks.
“I think that, if she stays 12 furlongs, then she has the chance to run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The programme could be to run in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood or in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.
“She is entered in both the Opera and the Arc and both races are possibility, although she would be more likely to race in the Opera if the ground was soft.”
Soumillon added: “It was a very good race and I was quite surprised that no-one has wanted to race over on the far side for the last couple of days which meant there was virgin ground there.
“I had Elusive Kate to target at and I could see her looking about so I made sure that I challenged and came past quickly.
““When my filly hit the front, she was trying to take a little break but, when I asked her to go again, she just gave me another turn of foot. She won like a champion filly.
“In the beginning, I was trying to jump out and ride her very close but the pace was not that quick. I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t happy but, if the pace was a bit quicker, it would have been better for her because she was a bit keen. When I asked to go at the three-furlong marker, I knew that she was going very well and there was just Frankie to try and beat.
“She has won easily today but her next few races will tell us more about whether she should go for the Arc and how her stamina will last.”
Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes (British Champions' Series) (Group 1)
£160,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Soft
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Position |
Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
Starting Price Beaten Distance |
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1 |
Giofra A De Royer Dupre |
C Soumillon 9st 5lbs |
10 - 1 Winner |
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2 |
Elusive Kate J H M Gosden |
L Dettori 8st 10lbs |
25 - 1 1/2 length |
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3 |
Siyouma F Doumen |
G Mosse 9st 5lbs |
33 - 1 3/4 length |
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4 |
Irish History M Al Zarooni |
M Barzalona 8st 10lbs |
16 - 1 3 3/4 lengths |
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5 |
Maybe A P O'Brien |
R L Moore 8st 10lbs |
5 - 1 Neck |
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6 |
Barefoot Lady R A Fahey |
P Hanagan 9st 5lbs |
50 - 1 2 3/4 lengths |
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7 |
Alanza J M Oxx |
J P Murtagh 9st 5lbs |
16 - 1 1 1/2 length |
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8 |
Lay Time A M Balding |
J Fortune 9st 5lbs |
10 - 1 1/2 length |
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9 |
Golden Lilac A Fabre |
M Guyon 9st 5lbs |
10 - 11 1/2 length |
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10 |
Joviality J H M Gosden |
William Buick 9st 5lbs |
8 - 1 9 lengths |
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NonRunner |
Chachamaidee Sir H R A Cecil |
T P Queally 9st 5lbs |
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After a disappointing effort in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies’ turf back in November and a subsequent break, Elusive Kate did her connections proud on her seasonal debut in the feature race, the Group One Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes.
A close run finish with French raiders Giofra and Siyouma saw her take second by half a length from Giofra, with Siyouma a further three quarters of length behind.
A pleased John Gosden, who trains the three-year-old filly, said afterwards: “We were delighted with her - it was nice to get her back on track. She has always been a very good filly and I couldn’t be more pleased with her.
“She may go to Deauville or the Matron Stakes (at Leopardstown) - those sort of races.”
Third-placed Siyouma’s trainer, Francois Doumen, said “It went well.
“When she ran third in the Group Three (in May over a mile and two furlongs) at Saint-Cloud she proved to me that she wanted a mile and this shows I was right. At Saint-Cloud she just didn’t quite stay, just collapsing a little at the finish, here she was travelling well and had to change her line several times so she ran the mile well. Today she proved me right so everybody’s happy
“She could go for the Prix de L’Opera on Arc weekend at Longchamp but really I think the mile is perfect for her.”
“THAT’S RACING”
Andre Fabre, who had before the race compared Golden Lilac to the best filly he has trained, Banks Hill, reacted with quiet dignity to the first poor race the four-year-old filly has run.
Golden Lilac, ridden by Maxime Guyon, started the 10/11 favourite for the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes and finished ninth of the 10 runners in the Group One mile contest.
Fabre said after returning to the weighing room to consult the jockey: “That was her first bad race but the ground was probably a reason - that’s racing.”
Initially, the French trainer had been inclined to put the poor run down to Golden Lilac not settling and running too free.
GIOFRA STAYS ON STRONGLY FOR STYLISH SUCCESS
Giofra recorded her first victory at Group One level when she took the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes by half a length at Newmarket this afternoon.
The Sectional Timing and Tracking System revealed that Giofra’s sustained high cruising speed eventually proved too much for Elusive Kate, who ran a blinder on her seasonal return in the latest leg of the QIPCO British Champions Series.
From the five-furlong pole to a quarter of a mile out, the pair matched fractions almost to hundredths of a second.
But Giofra’s fitness proved decisive as she hit the front in the final furlong, closing out that phase of the race in almost half a second better time than her rival.
Mike Maher, managing director at TurfTrax, said: “Giofra returned a top speed of almost 39 miles per hour between three and two furlongs from home.
“But it was her superior closing sectional of 13.28seconds as opposed to Elusive Kate’s of 13.76seconds that was ultimately telling.
“Given her 252-day lay-off, it is perhaps understandable that Elusive Kate was just unable to hold off Giofra in those closing strides.
“Bearing in mind the slow early gallop, the other intriguing performance is that of third-placed Siyouma. She was 10th with three furlongs to go, but produced a strong finish to her race, especially between the two and one-furlong markers when she was the quickest of the field. And in the last furlong, only the winner Giofra surpassed her time.”
