WITHIN the AQPS system there are graded races, though they are not recognised as such in sales catalogues. Once such is the Grade 1 Prix Jacques de Vienne, run last weekend at Saint-Cloud.

It was won by the three-year-old filly Fabulous Dragoness (Poliglote) and she was bred and is raced by Magalen Bryant, David Powell and Denis Baer.

She is the fourth winner from the first five foals bred by Nathalie Blue (Epervier Bleu). Sold for 40,000 francs as a foal to Highflyer Bloodstock back in 2001, she went on to win on the flat and twice over hurdles in France.

The best of her winners to date is the top-class Blue Dragon (Califet). The seven-year-old is the winner of 13 races, 10 of them over jumps and these include two Grade 1 races.

Nathalie Blue was one of four winners produced by the unraced Cadoudal (Green Dancer) mare Grace De Vonnas, and all four were mares. One of the others was Orphee De Vonnas, a daughter of Jimble (Double Bed) who stood for a number of years in Ireland, and that four-time winner over jumps bred Ballotin (Enrique), a winner of 12 races who has been placed in graded hurdle races, and the listed hurdle-placed Envole Toi (Enrique), a three-time winner last year at three and this year at four.

EIGHT WINNERS

Grace De Vonnas was one of just a pair of the six foals produced by Montrifaut (Laniste) that did not race. The other was Diana De Vonnas (El Badr) and she bred eight winners including Ivan De Vonnas (Cadoudal) who raced with success in Ireland. She is also the grandam of a couple of blacktype winners over jumps, namely Grade 1 winner Usual Suspects (Goldneyev) and Surfing (Califet).

The four offspring of Montrifaut that raced all won, headed by Vicq II (Le Nain Jaune), winner of a pair of flat races and 10 over jumps, the most significant being the Grand Steeplechase de Nantes.

Poliglote died this year at the age of 26. Winner at two of the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, he was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby). On the flat he enjoyed great success in South America with his runners, getting seven Group 1 winners, while in Europe he is best remembered as the sire of the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Solemia.

Over jumps he has also enjoyed major successes and last weekend his son Politologue, winner of the Grade 1 Melling Chase and Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase, returned to action and added a Grade 2 success to his burgeoning CV. Don Poli’s Grade 1 wins include the RSA Chase at Cheltenham and the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown, while another son Top Notch landed last year’s Grade 1 Scilly Isles Chase. His daughter Let’s Dance sold for €200,000 recently at Tattersalls Ireland.