Camelot's Wonderment Swoops For Criterium de Saint-Cloud Glory

   Following up a two-length Aug. 26 debut score at the provincial venue Evreux, Wonderment (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) hit the board in Chantilly's Oct. 1 G3 Prix de Conde in her only other start and swooped late to secure a career best in Saturday's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Steadied in rear until turning for home, the 13-1 chance made headway under pressure in the straight to go fourth entering the final furlong and kept on strongly under an animated Stephane Pasquier to deny Sydney Opera House (GB) (Australia {GB} and Fox Tal (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) by a neck and 3/4-of-a-length, respectively, in the dying strides. “She's been a progressive filly, who won well first time out, but it was impossible to make up ground from behind in a slowly run Prix de Conde last time,” explained trainer Nicolas Clement after securing his first renewal of the 10-furlong contest. “It was a completely different affair today as there was a good pace up front, which was favourable for the late closers, and she benefitted from a very good ride by Stephane Pasquier. She was a good buy at Deauville for an American client and I hope this is the beginning of a fairytale story. We hope it continues next year after she enjoys a good winter.”
   Wonderment, kin to a yearling filly by Dawn Approach {Ire}), becomes the third Group 1 winner from the first two crops of Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and she is the second foal out of Wiwilia (GB) (Konigstiger {Ger}), who is a winning half-sister to GI Man o' War S. hero Wake Forest (Ger) (Sir Percy {GB}) and G3 Preis der Winterkonigin third Wildfahrte (Ger) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}), herself the dam of three black-type performers headed by GSP Listed Hoppegartener Sommerpreis and Listed Fruhjahrs-Meile victor Wildpark (Ger) (Shamardal). Her unraced third dam Wurfbahn (Ger) (Frontal {Fr}) produced runaway G2 Deutsches St Leger victress Wurftaube (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), who in turn is the dam of G1 Deutsches Derby hero Waldpark (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}) and whose descendants include G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud victor Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), this term's G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and G1 St Leger hero Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}).

Saturday, Saint-Cloud, France
CRITERIUM DE SAINT-CLOUD-G1, €250,000, Saint-Cloud, 10-27, 2yo, c/f, 10fT, 2:10.91, gd.
1–WONDERMENT (IRE), 122, f, 2, by Camelot (GB)">Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Wiwilia (GB), by Konigstiger (Ger)
2nd Dam: Wurfspiel (Ger), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Wurfbahn (Ger), by Frontal (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€60,000 Ylg '17 AROCT). O-Mme Stella Thayer; B-Manfred Wurtenberger & Reinhard Stockli (IRE); T-Nicolas Clement; J-Stephane Pasquier. €142,850. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, €161,850. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sydney Opera House (GB), 126, c, 2, Australia (GB)–Sitara (GB), by Salse. (165,000gns Wlg '16 TATFOA; 525,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-The Pocock Family (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. €57,150.
3–Fox Tal (GB), 126, c, 2, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Maskunah (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (475,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Company Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Andrew Balding. €28,575.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 3. Odds: 12.90, 8.50, 33.00.
Also Ran: Norway (Ire), Alabaa (GB), Shoot For Gold (GB), Shambolic (Ire), Anecdotic, El Ingrato (Fr). Scratched: Nate the Great (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.