By Tom Frary
After a rare winless Royal Ascot, the irrepressible Wesley Ward went to Chantilly on Saturday to do something significant in providing American Pharoah with his first European black-type winner courtesy of Richard Ravin's Maven in the G3 Connolly's Redmills Prix du Bois. Breaking much better than the hot favourite and TDN Rising Star Hurricane Ivor (Ire) (Ivawood {Ire}), the Apr. 19 Aqueduct maiden special weight scorer kept finding on the front end for Mickael Barzalona and found the line in time to deny Jolie (Fr) (Power {GB}) in a photo. At the line, Maven had a head to spare as the 21-10 second favourite, with the disappointing Hurricane Ivor only seventh.
Taken out of the G2 Norfolk S. due to the rain-softened ground, Maven is the only known foal out of the triple stakes winner Richies Party Girl (Any Given Saturday). She is a half-sister to the GIII Crown Royal American Turf S. winner Strategic Partner (Kris S.) and Light From Above (A.P. Indy), who threw the stakes winner and GI Las Virgenes S. runner-up Light the City (Street Sense). They are out of the GIII Vineyard H. winner Very Special Lite (Majestic Light), a daughter of the GI Fantasy S. third Very Special Lady (Buckpasser).
Saturday, Chantilly, France
CONNOLLY'S REDMILLS PRIX DU BOIS-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 6-29, 2yo, 5fT, :58.36, g/s.
1–MAVEN, 126, c, 2, by American Pharoah">American Pharoah
1st Dam: Richies Party Girl (MSW-US, $357,085), by Any Given Saturday
2nd Dam: Very Special Lite, by Majestic Light
3rd Dam: Very Special Lady, by Buckpasser
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (£725,000 RNA 2yo '19 GOFLON). O-Richard Ravin; B/T-Wesley Ward (KY); J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €83,668. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Jolie (Fr), 122, f, 2, Power (GB)–Elettra (Fr), by Literato (Fr). O-Torsten Raber & Janina Burger; B-Enrico Ciampi & Paul Nataf (FR); T-Andrea Marcialis. €16,000.
3–Kenlova (Fr), 122, f, 2, Kendargent (Fr)–Ice Love (Fr), by Three Valleys. (€60,000 Ylg '18 ARAUG). O-LG Bloodstock & Guy Pariente; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Pascal Bary. €12,000.
Margins: HD, 3, HF. Odds: 2.10, 11.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Fan Club Rules (Ire), Great Dame (Ire), Sound Machine (Ger), Hurricane Ivor (Ire), Salerne (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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