Effevi Pair Hard to Split

Fabio Branca, the retained jockey of Scuderia Effevi, faced a tough choice for Sunday’s G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas), with his boss, Felice Villa, having two talented and unbeaten fillies in the race. Reset In Blue (Ire)(Fastnet Rock {Aus}) opened her account strolling home in her juvenile debut over 1800 meters and has won her two starts over 1600 meters this season by a combined 11 1/2 lengths. Sound Of Freedom (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) has had a similar path; she has won her three starts by a combined nine lengths, including last month’s Listed Premio Seregno at San Siro. Branca chose Reset In Blue and Cristian Demuro gets the call on Sound Of Freedom. 

Trainer Bruno Grizzetti has won the Regina Elena seven times, and this year he will saddle Testa O Croce (Fr) (Orpen), who needed four starts to break her maiden last year and ended the season with an unlucky third in the Listed Criterium Femminile. Testa O Croce won much easier than the margin–a neck–suggested in a conditions race over 1600 meters at San Siro Apr. 1. “She is a very good filly and is entered also in the French 1000 Guineas,” said Grizzetti. “I decided to run her just once before the Regina Elena because I want to have a fresh filly in the Classic and for the rest of the season. I will campaign her in France in the future because she is eligible for the French bonuses.”