Beauty Queen

BEAUTY QUEEN 
Living up to her grandiose title, Ballymore Thoroughbreds’ Miss France (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) conquered a sun-drenched Newmarket yesterday to provide Andre Fabre with a first renewal of the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas and complete an overdue clean sweep of the British Classics for the Gallic maestro. Having run flat when only sixth in the traditional French prep for this, the seven-furlong G3 Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 3, Miss France’s participation for the Classic, for which she had been the winter-long ante-post favorite, had been for a time in doubt. Bouncing back to her prior exciting best, she left that form behind when denying Lightning Thunder (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in an almost-exact repeat of the G3 Oh So Sharp S. staged here in September. Racing close to the pace under Maxime Guyon, the 7-1 shot worked her way to the front passing the furlong marker and hit the line a neck ahead of that strong-finishing closer. “I couldn’t be more delighted,” Fabre said. “It was only ten days ago that I became confident, as she worked brilliantly for the first time since her bad debut. I was worried that she was so close today, as the plan was to come from behind as she idles in front.” 

Sunday, Newmarket, Britain 
QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £434,875, NKT, 5-4, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:37.40, gd/fm. 
1–sMISS FRANCE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Dansili (GB) 
     1st Dam: Miss Tahiti (Ire) (Hwt. 2yo Filly & G1SW-Fr, $381,237), by Tirol (Ire) 
     2nd Dam: Mini Luthe (Fr), by Luthier (Fr) 
     3rd Dam: Minifer (GB), by Jim French 
O-Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd. B-Dayton Investments 
Ltd (IRE). T-Andre Fabre. J-Maxime Guyon. 
£246,617. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, £281,090. *1/2 
to Mer de Corail (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), SW & GSP-Fr, 
SP-US, $213,779; Maximum Security (Ire) (Sadler’s 
Wells), MSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the 
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
2–Lightning Thunder (GB), 126, f, 3, Dutch Art (GB)– 
Sweet Coincidence (GB), by Mujahid. (£33,000 yrl 
‘12 DONAUG; 115,000gns 2yo ‘13 TATAPR). 
O-Mohd Al Kubasi & Pearl Bloodstock Ltd. B-S A 
Douch (GB). T-Olly Stevens. £93,498. 
3–Ihtimal (Ire), 126, f, 3, Shamardal–Eastern Joy (GB), 
by Dubai Destination. O-Godolphin. B-Darley (IRE). 
T-Saeed bin Suroor. £46,792. 
Margins: NK, HF, 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 14.00, 7.00. 
Also Ran: Manderley (GB), Euro Charline (GB), Majeyda, Rizeena (Ire), Vorda (Fr), Sandiva (Ire), Lamar (Ire), Joyeuse (GB), Princess Noor (Ire), Lady Lara (Ire), Bracelet (Ire), Betimes (GB), Lucky Kristale (GB), Tapestry (Ire). Scratched: Alutiq (Ire), Kiyoshi (GB). 
Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, courtesy Racing UK. 
Ambitiously named, Miss France’s career could hardly have got off to a more inauspicious start as she beat only one rival after a tardy beginning and labored middle and end to her six-furlong debut on soft ground at Deauville in August. Stepping up markedly on a lively surface at the end of that month, she accounted for the eventual G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Indonesienne (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) over a mile at Chantilly before shipping here to take the Oh So Sharp on the Fillies’ Mile undercard. Her flop in the Imprudence offered little in the way of visual encouragement that she had made further strides during the off-season, but by the time they had run a quarter mile here she was already a vastly-contrasting proposition. Traveling well within herself two lengths off the pace as stable companion Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) had done in the G3 Dahlia S. earlier in the afternoon, she took until the furlong pole to get by the long-time leader Manderley (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) as Ihtimal (Ire) (Shamardal) emerged on her flank out wide. Repelling that challenge only in the final 50 yards, she found the line in time as Harry Bentley conjured a flourish from Lightning Thunder. “She jumped really good and I didn’t want to pull her about, as she was very relaxed,” jockey Maxime Guyon said. “Last time there was no pace, but everything was perfect today. She stopped a bit in front, so she can maybe go longer. She is very good and maybe the best.” With such a wealth of talent to have passed through his hands down the years, Fabre is well-positioned to measure the quality of his latest headline act and he was using a recent marker to do so. “I think the best filly I ever trained was Golden Lilac (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was an explosive type,” he explained. “This one is a nice filly with a long stride and very different. She is in the G1 Coronation S. [at Royal Ascot June 20], so I will discuss it with the owners as she will go further and could go for the G1 Prix de Diane [at Chantilly June 15].” 

No Thunder This Time… 
There was almost a shock “Thunder” double after the exploits of Night of Thunder in the 2000 on Saturday, but Lightning Thunder’s trainer Olly Stevens was far from downcast after taking in the effort of his first Classic runner. “We’re thrilled–this is childhood dream stuff, to be here with a horse of this quality,” he said. “She’s in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas [at The Curragh May 25], but she’d have to really bounce out of this to go on the ferry. She goes well fresh, so it’s more than likely that we’ll save her for the Coronation.” The overwhelming market support for the J “TDN Rising Star” J Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was eventually sent off the 4-1 favorite, proved misplaced as the Ballydoyle raider faded rapidly out of contention in the final quarter mile and finished last.