CHANTILLY-based, Swedish-born Pia Brandt has a bright classic prospect in the form of Camprock who put eight other fillies firmly in their place last Monday at Saint-Cloud.

Unraced at two, the daughter of Myboycharlie still had plenty left when taking the Group 3 Prix Penelope by nearly two lengths from The Juliet Rose and the favourite, Jadhaba. Camprock, ridden by Maxime Guyon, was landing a hat-trick and she looks capable of further improvement. Mid-division early on, she hit the front a furlong out and was never in danger from that point.

Brandt was landing her tenth race this season and she said afterwards: “The filly had a beautiful race and did it well. She is making progress all the time and moved up another step. We now have two options – to run her directly in the Prix de Diane or take in the Prix Saint-Alary before. It depends on how she goes at home and I feel she is better on good ground.”

Alain and Anna Drion (Coulonges Consignment) raised Camprock but she was bred by the latter’s daughter, Moa Sundstrom. The filly was brought by Brandt at the Arqana October sales in 2014 for €30.000 and is now owned by a syndicate which includes the Drion family.

Farewell Cirrus Des Aigles

FRANCE Galop have chosen the meeting at Saint-Cloud on May 1st to bid “au revoir” to the great gelding, Cirrus Des Aigles. Corine Barande Barbe and her team will parade the 10-year-old in the paddock to give his fans a chance to see him in the flesh. The day’s money-spinning Quinte race will be retitled ‘Merci Cirrus Des Aigles’.

His career spanned eight years and took in 67 outings. Cirrus Des Aigles won seven Group 1 races at Ascot, Epsom, Meydan and Longchamp where he captured a hat-trick of Prix Ganay’s.

‘Tierce’ races to be

televised on TFI

FRANCE Galop, together with their trotting equivalent, have signed a three year contract with the TFI television group. The “Tierce” family of races will be broadcast on a daily basis by the freeview channel LC. The Qatar Arc de Triomphe weekend will be transmitted in full by TFI (the Bouygues group), a channel that captures 24% of French viewers.

PMU total drops significantly

PMU (off course betting) held up quite well in 2015, although there was a reduced turnover of 1.8% overall, down to €9,797 billion. Wagers on racing were also down by 1.8% to €8,992 billion. The PMU’s international side expanded by 11% but that only represents 8.2% of a turnover. Sports betting increased by 3.6%. However the total is well down on previous years when their share of the betting income came to €865 million in 2012, €854 million the following year and €850 million in 2014.

Califet winner

Boardsmill Stud’s sire Califetwas responsible for another decent winner at Enghien his fourth graded winner of the year. The four-year-old Carriacou won the Grade 3 Prix Hopper Chase over two miles and three furlongs, picking up £46,323.53 for the win over the favourite King’s Socks. It was a second win of the year for the gelding who has been placed in all of his five starts.Over the past six weeks brothers Dan and Harry Skelton have picked up €110,160 in hurdle races at Enghien-Soissy. They have had four runners – three firsts and a second. Last Wednesday, Shelford (Galileo) won his second event when staying on gamely to take the Listed Prix du Cher which had a winning purse of €40,800.