ZELZAL sauntered home in the Prix Paul de Moussac at Chantilly last Saturday and paid a considerable compliment to The Gurkha who had him trailing in his wake in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Deauville last month. The form of that classic has worked out exceptionally as five of the colts trounced by The Gurkha have either been placed in the Prix du Jockey Club or won a group or listed event.

Zelzal was 11th (beaten 12 lengths) in the Poulains and a very different proposition when taking the Group 3 Paul de Moussac. Gregory Benoist never had an anxious moment in the mile, which was run at a decent pace thanks to the presence of Moon Trouble. He was clear running into the straight but Zelzal was cruising and just waiting for his jockey to press the button.

The son of Sea The Stars slipped into top gear a furlong out and drew clear effortlessly to win by two and a half lengths from the longtime leader with the German runner Degas third. Zelzal did not race at two and won his first two outings on the all-weather at Deauville and Chantilly in a canter before being crushed by The Gurkha in the Poulains.

The colt was yet another success for Jean-Claude Rouget. When owner’s premiums are taken into account, the Pau-based trainer has now accumulated winnings to the tune of nearly €4.8 million. He reported: “All being well, Zelzal will now be aimed at the Prix Jean Prat (Chantilly July 10th) and then have a rest until the autumn. This was a real race as the leader was a good horse so it needed another to beat him. The colt didn’t start serious work until February and I think he still has room for further improvement.”

Zelzal was bred at the Haras du Quesnay and sold at the Arqana October Sale in 2014 to Al Shaqab Racing for €180,000. The second-placed Moon Trouble (Lope De Vega) went through the Arqana August Sale the same year and was bought by Freddy Head for €45,000.

Welsh trainer David Evans took the Listed Prix La Fleche on the same card with the Irish-bred Rapacity Alexander (Dandy Man). She is owned by Noel O’Callaghan (Alexander Goldrun etc) and bred by Aidan Fogarty.

Mickael Barzalona made every yard of the running on the filly and O’Callaghan said after the race: “We had to choose between Chantilly or Royal Ascot and finally chose the easier option. She is a full-sister to Peniaphobia. He is a top sprinter in Hong Kong (won Group 1 Longines Sprint) and I hope she’s as good. If the filly recovers well, she could come back to France for either the Prix du Bois or Robert Papin.”

Another win for Cowell

TRAINER Robert Cowell, successful with Spirit Quartz in a listed race at Cork on Sunday, picked another sprint prize last week when Justineto, won the Listed Prix Hampton at Chantilly on Saturday. Pierre Charles Boudot partnered the seven-year-old to a head success.

Meergorl by a neck

THE Group 2 Diana Trial, a trial race over a mile and two furlongs on Sunday for the German Oaks, was won by Meergorl. The German-bred daughter of Alderflug won by a neck from Pagella and Kasalla for trainer Roland Dzubasz and British jockey jockey Frederik Tylicki. Joint-favourites Night Music and La Dynamite could only finish fourth and eighth respectively in the Hoppegarten contest. The filly was following her her success at the track last month and is one of the leading contenders for the Oaks next month.

Good Company

A GOOD season for Fast Company, who will stand at Kildangan next season, continued with success for his two-year-old daughter, Val Nanda in the Listed Premio Alessandro Perrone in Rome last Sunday.