Chantilly Sunday

Goffs Prix Robert Papin (Group 2)

JOSEPH O’Brien supplied two of the three runners in last Sunday’s Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly but neither of his pair - King Of Cloughan and Beibhinn - could lay a glove on the locally-trained Tokaido, who continued his winning streak for the Amy Murphy stable.

As a Royal Ascot winner, King Of Cloughan was sent off favourite for this poorly-supported six-furlong event, which has been won in recent years by Blackbeard and Ramatuelle.

He raced in second spot behind stable companion Beibhinn, a filly who had Group 2 placed form at the Curragh. The leader weakened quickly in the final furlong and, while King Of Cloughan had every chance, he was readily outpaced by Tokaido who eased clear under the veteran rider Tony Piccone to win by two lengths.

It was appropriate that the race was sponsored by Goffs as the winner was a £58,000 purchase at the Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale by agent Matt Coleman, who advises owners Anoj Don and Daniel McAuliffe.

A gelding by Mickley Stud sire Ubettabelieveit (by Kodiac), Tokaido has now won four in a row. He is not eligible for the Prix Morny and so will be aimed instead at the Harry’s Half Million at York’s Ebor Festival. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf is his ultimate aim.

Supporting card

There were a few notable performances on Sunday’s undercard. Cankoura, third in last year’s Prix de Diane, impressed in winning the Listed Prix de la Pepiniere over an extended 10 furlongs for the Aga Khan/Francis Graffard team.

The grey Persian King filly is being aimed at the Group 1 Prix Jean et Louis Romanet on August 23rd at Deauville.

“Mickaël (Barzalona) told us she’s a filly who needs to be kept under control because she comes out of the stalls very quickly, which is why we recently considered the United States for her,” commented Nemone Routh, on behalf of the Aga Khan team.

“She always needs to find cover. She has a lot of heart. She always gives her all. The track is fast, but she handles it very well.”

The same team were out of luck in the one-mile Group 3 Prix Messidor when the odds-on Erdenali lost his unbeaten record after getting no run until it was all too late.

Locked up on the rails, Barzalona had to sit and suffer as the winner Silius edged ahead of Familly to win by a neck. Once Erdenali (by Caravaggio) got a bit of room in the final 100 metres he flew home for third place.

Donnacha O’Brien sent over La Fogata to run in the Group 3 Prix Chloe, a nine-furlong event for three-year-old fillies, but she could only finish a modest fourth behind Charlie Johnston’s Jennifer Jane.

Winner of Newmarket’s Pretty Polly Stakes in May, Jennifer Jane had reportedly been unsuited by “roough” ground when a well-beaten favourite in the Italian Oaks last month in Milan. Here, she adopted her usual front-running tactics under Silvestre de Sousa and battled well to defeat Godolphin’s Pierchic by three parts of a length.

By New Bay, the winner was a €50,000 yearling at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale.