After a debut second to the smart Pai Brandt trainee Etonnez Moi (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) over 10 furlongs here Mar. 12, Highlands Queen was off the mark at the expense of Mango Tango over the same course and distance last time Apr. 3 and took another stride up the ladder with a clear-cut victory in this trial for the G1 Prix de Diane. Anchored in fourth early against the fence by Stephane Pasquier, the blaze-faced bay stayed far side entering the home straight as Christophe Soumillon took Apple Betty across with Mango Tango to the stand's rail. While it is difficult to tell what effect that manouevre had on the eventual second and third's chances, the way Highlands Queen drew away after striking the front passing the quarter pole suggests she had their measure in any event. “I was quite confident she would run a nice race, as I was on her last week in a piece of work and she really impressed me,” trainer Yohann Gourraud said. “She always gives her best and does what is asked of her and she has improved with every run. She is not in the Diane [at Chantilly June 19], so I will have to see what the owners want to do and make a decision whether to supplement or not.” Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Sunday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX CLEOPATRE – JOCKEY CLUB DE TURQUIE-G3, €80,000, SCD, 5-29, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:17.41, g/s.
1–#@HIGHLANDS QUEEN (FR), 121, f, 3, by Mount Nelson (GB)
1st Dam: Queen of Poland (Fr), by Polish Precedent
2nd Dam: Queen of Persia (Ire), by Persian Bold (Ire)
3rd Dam: Queen of Warsaw (Fr), by Assert (Ire)
O-Mme Nathalie Kerjean, Yves Kerjean & Henri Malard; B-SCEA Domaine de l'Argos (FR); T-Yohann Gourraud; J-Stephane Pasquier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, €57,500. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mango Tango (Fr), 121, f, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Alexandrina (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). (€50,000 2yo '15 OSAAPR). O-Galileo Racing Inc; B-Emmanuel Trussardi & Ecurie du Precieux (FR); T-Pascal Bary. €16,000.[bullet ad=”mab-purchased-by”]3–Apple Betty (Ire), 121, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Absolutelyfabulous (Ire), by Mozart (Ire). O-Joseph Allen; B-Absolutelyfabulous Syndicate (IRE); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €12,000.
Margins: 5, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 5.50, 6.60, 0.90.
Also Ran: Gargotiere (Fr), Indecence Choisie (Fr).
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