PRIX MARCEL

BOUSSAC (GROUP 1)

SUNDAY began with the running of the Total Prix Marcel Boussac where Wild Illusion, a 25/1 chance with the industry bookmakers, gave her form book a sizeable tweak by winning impressively.

Charlie Appleby made the bold decision to supplement the daughter of Dubawi into the Group 1 mile and he also decided to equip her with cheekpieces for the first time. They did the trick and she dominated the final two furlongs having been prominent throughout the race in the hands of James Doyle. The pair were not flat out to win by a length and a half from the favourite Polydream with Mission Impassible third in front of Ballydoyle’s Magical who did not have the best run in the straight.

On her previous visit to Chantilly, Wild Illusion had finished third over the course and distance, behind Soustraction in the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale. On that occasion there was just over a length between the two but in the Marcel Boussac, Wild Illusion was seven lengths superior to Soustraction.

Appleby was landing back-to-back victories in the race having greeted Wuheida in the winner’s enclosure the previous year. He explained: “She had been working very well at home and had come on a lot since her last visit to France so I decided to make the supplement. I am grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for giving me the go ahead.

“I put cheekpieces on her as she was too relaxed last time and I wanted her to concentrate more. Hopefully she will have a trouble free winter and we now have the right to think about the classics next year.”

Freddy Head trained the strongly fancied runner-up and commented: “Polydream ran well but didn’t spark today. She just stayed on. It’s the end of the season and she was a little out of her ground. You will see her next year.”

Magical was only beaten narrowly in fourth place and could have been second with a little more room when starting her challenge.