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Sea La Rosa repels Prix de Royallieu rivals at Longchamp

Updated / Sunday, 2 Oct 2022 12:47
Tom Marquand was aboard Sea La Rosa
Tom Marquand was aboard Sea La Rosa

Sea La Rosa (7-2 industry price, 13-5F PMU) was an impressive winner of the Group One Qatar Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp.

The William Haggas-trained filly was partnered by Tom Marquand for the one-mile-six-furlong event, run on very soft ground after persistent rain.

Travelling strongly in a field of 10, the chestnut pulled away to cross the line a length ahead of Jannah Flower.

Francis Henri-Graffard's Verry Elleegant, winner of 11 Group One contests in Australia including the Melbourne Cup, was unplaced after rerouting to the race after it became evident she would not make the cut for Sunday’s maximum field in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Marquand said of Sea La Rosa: "She’s been incredible this year to be honest, and the backend of last year. She just seems to be getting better with each run."

Owen Burrows' Anmaat (15-8F industry price, 23-10F PMU) just grasped victory in the Group Two Qatar Prix Dollar.

The colt took up the lead over a furlong from home, locking horns with Andre Fabre’s Junko as the pair crossed the line in unison.

A photo finish showed Burrows’ runner, piloted by Jim Crowley, to have prevailed from a field of 12, with Simon and Ed Crisford’s West Wind Blows a further four lengths back in third.

Anmaat has been on a rapid upwards trajectory this season, building on last year’s Cambridgeshire second to win the John Smith’s Cup on his return at York in July before adding a Haydock Group Three the following month.

Burrows now has Group One aspirations for his charge.

He said: "He surprised us a bit at Haydock but on the back of that we were perfectly happy with him at home.

"He ran a big race in the Cambridgeshire, so we knew we had a decent horse on our hands.

"He’s taken the steps from a York handicap to a Group Three and now a Group Two. So we will let the dust settle and find a Group One for him."

Karl Burke's Al Qareem (13-2 industry price, 11-2 PMU) recorded the narrowest of victories in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay.

A winner at Nottingham and York earlier in the year, the Nick Bradley Racing-owned three-year-old went on to finish fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot before suffering a head defeat in Newmarket’s Bahrain Trophy.

Having finished down the field in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on his latest appearance, Al Qareem knuckled down in the soft ground under Ryan Moore to get the better of Sober by a nose in the Group Two contest.

Bradley did not make the trip to France but was nonetheless thrilled, saying: "He’s been mega unlucky a few times this year and I’m so delighted to win a big one with him.

"It was my fault at Ascot as I told Clifford (Lee) to make the running on him, but he just did too much and was too free.

"He was a bit unlucky at Newmarket – I think he might have won in another half-furlong – and Goodwood didn’t go to plan, but the form of that race is amazingly strong."

Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget is eyeing a trip to Royal Ascot next summer with Erevann (6-4F industry price, 7-5F PMU) following his stylish victory in the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein.

Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, who hit the headlines for the wrong reasons on Friday after incurring a two-month ban at Saint-Cloud, the Dubawi colt was moved to the far rail early in the home straight and showed a smart change of gear to grab the lead.

The Revenant, successful in this Group Two contest in 2019 and 2020 and runner-up to Real World 12 months ago, once again finished with a flourish, but Erevann was well on top at the line.

Rouget said: "We gave him time and he was impressive (when third) in the Jacques Le Marois, he was impressive today and I think he will be impressive next year.

"Ascot is my favourite course. The ground will be better than today, but he goes on all grounds – he’s like Sottsass who won the Prix du Jockey Club on firm ground and the Arc on very soft.

"I like this horse – he’s a champion. He will be entered in the two races at Royal Ascot, but I think we will stay at a mile (for the Queen Anne Stakes)."

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Accreditation: PA

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