By Tom Frary
Only fifth three weeks earlier in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest he won last year, Signs of Blessing was back to his imperious best as he led his rivals a merry dance under Stephane Pasquier here. As sprinters get older, their form tends to be in-and-out and it can be just a minor adversity that leads to a downturn in form. The imposing bay has generally been an all-or-nothing performer throughout his career, with one of his brilliant days being when he handed the top British speedster Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) 11 pounds and a two-length beating in the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges over five furlongs on soft ground here May 13. Taken to Royal Ascot with valid claims for the G1 King's Stand S. on that evidence, he was only eighth on vastly contrasting ground conditions in that June 20 feature and was having his first run back when a slightly flat fifth in the Maurice de Gheest. Always happy in front towards the centre as this small-field affair ended up being three races in one, he only had old rival Finsbury Square to concern him in the final furlong but readily held him at bay to win comfortably. “He is a pleasure to train and is as good over six as he is over five,” trainer Francois Rohaut said. “Last time, he did too much too early and looked more relaxed today. He'll now go straight to the [G1] Prix de l'Abbaye [at Chantilly Oct. 1] and then we'll decide on whether he goes for the [G1] Hong Kong Sprint [in which he was fifth last year] again or not.”
Signs of Blessing is out of an unraced daughter of the Listed Cheshire Oaks third Sunray Superstar (GB) (Nashwan), who in turn is a full-sister to the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Nadia (GB). The Listed Rochestown S.-winning third dam Nazoo is a full-sister to the G3 Anglesey S.-winning pair Single Combat and Lake Como and to the dam of the nine-times grade I-winning dual turf champion Flawlessy (Affirmed). This is also the family of the Listed Silver Flash S. winner and G1 Prix Morny third Heeremandi (Ire) (Royal Academy), the four-times group-winning sire Zindabad (Fr), the GI Turf Classic S. hero Divisidero (Kitten's Joy) and champions Tosmah (Tim Tam) and Halo. Sun Bittern also has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Signs of Blessing named It's a Wish (GB) and a filly foal by Muhaarar (GB).
Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DE MEAUTRY BARRIERE-G3, €80,000, DVL, 8-27, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:08.96, gd.
1–SIGNS OF BLESSING (IRE), 130, g, 6, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Sun Bittern, by Seeking The Gold
2nd Dam: Sunray Superstar (GB), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Nazoo (Ire), by Nijinsky II
(€102,000 Ylg '12 ARAUG). O-Mme Isabelle Corbani, Ecurie Pandora Racing & Ahmed Mouknass; B-Serge Boucheron (IRE); T-Francois Rohaut; J-Stephane Pasquier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, GSW-Ger & G1SP-Eng, 25-10-2-2, €719,595. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”mab-purchased-by”]2–Finsbury Square (Ire), 128, g, 5, Siyouni (Fr)–Diamond Square (Fr), by Dyhim Diamond (Ire). O/B-Berend van Dalfsen (IRE); T-Fabrice Chappet. €16,000.
3–Spiritfix (GB), 125, f, 4, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Beautifix (Ger), by Bering (GB). O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €12,000.
Margins: 2, 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.00, 4.20, 16.40.
Also Ran: Stunning Spirit (GB), Lahore, Aiming for Rio (Fr), Fas (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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