Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (Group 1)

THE afternoon’s other history maker was Jessica Marcialis, who became the first woman to ride a Group 1 winner on the flat in France when guiding the rags-to-riches Irish-bred filly, Tiger Tanaka, to a hugely popular victory in the €300,000 Group 1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac.

A daughter of Clodovil, Tiger Tanaka was acquired for just €6,500 at Tattersalls Ireland Yearling Sale last September having been bred by Dermot Dwan at Kellsgrange Stud in Co Kilkenny.

Claimers

She made a winning debut in claiming company at Lyon in early June and, having changed hands again for €24,000 after that race, she went on to land two more provincial claimers in her first two starts for former Criquette Head assistant Charley Rossi.

Her first visit to Paris saw a third place, beaten in a photo, for the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin, and her only subsequent start was a Group 3 victory at Deauville. The Boussac panned out perfectly for her as, while strongly-fancied rivals such as Fev Rover, King’s Harlequin and the Ken Condon-trained Thunder Beauty all got involved in a rugby scrum early in the home straight, Tiger Tanaka enjoyed plain sailing as she register a three-quarter-length triumph.

Rossi’s partner

Throughout her time with Rossi she has been ridden, both at home and on the racecourse, by the trainer’s partner, 30-year-old Marcialis, though at times she has been unable to claim the regular 3lb female riders’ allowance because of the value of the races.

The couple’s jovial winning press conference was interrupted as their three-year-old son, Leo, enlisted the help of his father to open a packet of bonbons! It also included the quote of the weekend from winning owner, Miguel Castro Megias, when asked to explain why he overrules the trainer to insist that Marcialis retains the ride.

“It’s because I am crazy,” he said. “You have to be crazy otherwise nice things don’t happen.”

Adventures

Megias was keen on continuing Tiger Tanaka’s adventures in the Breeders’ Cup, though her need for Tata, the filly’s pet goat, to travel with her might have caused complications!

However, these plans were shelved on Monday once it was discovered that Clodovil was not Breeders’ Cup nominated, so she is likely to stay at home to contest one of the two remaining French juvenile Group 1 races.