THE decision of trainer Fabrice Vermeulen to supplement his Prix du Jockey Club sixth, Pretty Tiger, for the main supporting race at Saint Cloud last Sunday, the €130,000 Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam, was fully vindicated as the son of Sea The Moon made all the running and held off the previously unbeaten Caprice Des Dieux by a comfortable two lengths.

Much of the forecast rain missed the central Paris region but the ground was still riding soft, which suited Christophe Soumillon’s mount.

Pretty Tiger was registering a first pattern victory eight weeks after he had passed the post in front in the Group 3 Prix Noailles only to lose the race in the stewards’ room.

Jérémy Para, representing Vermeulen, said: “Pretty Tiger is so much better with a bit of cut in the ground. In the Jockey-Club it was that bit faster and the speed horses were able to last home but it might have been different with a bit of rain.”

“The plan is now to send him to Deauville for the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano, after which we will think about the Prix Niel as a possible prep race before the Arc.”

A HAT-trick of high class front-running performances had been kicked off at ParisLongchamp a couple of days earlier last Thursday week when Marianafoot continued the wonderful season of Marseille-based trainer Jérôme Reynier when landing his seventh consecutive victory in the €80,000 Group 3 Prix de la Porte Maillot over seven furlongs.

Eased down in the shadow of the post, Marianafoot still had a length and a half to spare over the solid yardstick, Duhail.

The Footstepsinthesand six-year-old was carrying a 2lb penalty and will be worth consideration when making the step up into Group 1 company in his next start - the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on August 8th.

Poland

THERE was another notable achievement for a female rider in Poland last Sunday when Joanna Wyrzyk became the first woman to win the Polish Derby at Sluzewiec Racecourse in Warsaw.

The 24-year-old achieved victory aboard Guitar Man, setting the pace before being headed with 250 metres remaining only for her mount to rally and defeat Nania by a head, with a seven-length gap back to the third.

The winner is a son of Galileo and Beauty Bright, a brother to Iberia. Guitar Man raced just once for Aidan O’Brien, finishing sixth in a mile maiden on the all-weather at Dundalk last November.

The colt was purchased from Ballydoyle and was trained for the Polish classic success by Adam Wyrzyk, Joanna’s father.

Guitar Man won his first start in Poland then ran third in the Polish 2000 Guineas before claiming the Derby.

Wyrzyk is the first female rider to win a European Derby since Slovakian-born Maria Rossak won the Czech Derby aboard Talgado in 2010.