Galileo’s Ballydoyle Powers to Marcel Boussac Glory

Fresh from a runner-up finish in last month’s G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh, Michael Tabor colorbearer Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gained some measure of compensation for that defeat by powering to victory in Longchamp’s G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, the opening fixture of Arc Sunday. Steadied in fourth after the initial strides, the Aug. 22 G2 Debutante S. victress and 6-4 second choice was shuffled back one spot along the “false straight” and asserted superiority once stoked up to challenge at the two pole, running on strongly under a drive to best Debutante fourth Turret Rocks (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) by 1 1/4 lengths. Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) ran on well to finish a short neck adrift in third while even-money chalk Antonoe (First Defence) was never settled and faded in the stretch to finish seventh of eight. “She’s a lovely filly and it’s great to have one so good with that name,” beamed trainer Aidan O’Brien. “We tried our luck in the Moyglare, but it was too soft for that day and today was just perfect.”

Sunday, Longchamp, France
TOTAL PRIX MARCEL BOUSSAC – CRITERIUM DES POULICHES-G1, €300,000, LCP, 10-4, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:35.44, gd.
1–&BALLYDOYLE (IRE), 123, f, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Butterfly Cove, by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Mr. P’s Princess, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Anne Campbell, by Never Bend
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier;
B-March Thoroughbreds (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien;
J-Ryan Moore; €171,420. Lifetime Record: GSW &
G1SP-Ire, SP-Eng, 6-3-2-0, €325,947. *Full to Misty
For Me (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Fr, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at
9.5-11f, MG1SW-Ire, G1SW-Fr & GISP-US,
$1,124,364; and Twirl (Ire), SW & GSP-Ire, GSP-Eng
& SP-US, $132,754. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Turret Rocks (Ire), 123, f, 2, Fastnet Rock (Aus)—
Beyond Compare (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Mrs J S
Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger. €68.580.
3–Qemah (Ire), 123, f, 2, Danehill Dancer (Ire)–Kartica
(GB), by Rainbow Quest. (€200,000 Ylg ‘14
ARQAUG). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Ecurie Haras du
Cadran, SCEA Bissons & SAS I.E.I. (IRE);
T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €34.290.
Margins: 1 1/4, SNK, 1. Odds: 1.50, 12.70, 13.00.
Also Ran: Left Hand (GB), Katie’s Diamond (Fr), Aktoria (Fr), Antonoe, Ella Diva (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result, the PMU PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Ballydoyle showed her mettle when narrowly defeated in Royal Ascot’s June 20 Listed Chesham S., which followed a May 23 debut fourth at The Curragh, and shed maiden status at Newmarket July 11 before embarking on her present black-type sequence. Emulating full-sister Misty For Me (Ire)’s 2010 success here, she provided conditioner Aidan O’Brien with a record-equaling fifth renewal of the contest. Regarding future plans, O’Brien revealed, “She’s a classy filly and we’ll target the [G1 1000] Guineas [at Newmarket] next year. The [GI] Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies could still be an option this season, but the lads will sit down and discuss that in the next week or so.” Jim Bolger was far from downbeat following Turret Rock’s defeat and the breeder-trainer said of the runner-up, “I’m delighted with that effort and she could be an Oaks filly next year. [Jockey] Kevin [Manning] said the ground is on the fast side [of good] and, if it remains so, I could be tempted to bring her back to France for the [Nov. 1 G1] Criterium de Saint-Cloud.” Jean-Claude Rouget was also content with Qemah’s display and added, “I’m happy with that performance and she’ll have a great season next year.” Pascal Bary was almost at a loss to explain the eclipse of ‘TDN Rising Star’ Antonoe (First Defence), but offered, “She was never traveling well [trapped three wide] on the outside. She was never comfortable and her run was too bad to be true.”