Juddmonte's Sunly Goes Two-For-Two at ParisLongchamp

Juddmonte homebred Sunly (Night Of Thunder) delivered a dominant performance in Sunday's Listed Prix de la Seine, a traditional launching pad for next month's G1 Prix de Diane, at ParisLongchamp. The May-foaled chestnut notched a three-length debut tally at the same venue last month and remained unbeaten with a 2 1/2-length triumph in this return. However, she is not engaged in the Diane but retains an entry in the Chantilly's G3 Prix de Royaumont.

The eventual winner, sent postward at odds of 12-5, settled into a comfortable rhythm racing in a handy fourth from the outset of this 11-furlong distaffers' contest. Nudged along approaching the home straight, she powered to the front with 300 metres remaining and was ridden out in the closing stages to defeat Konada (Toronado) in decisive fashion.

“Sunly had come on a lot from her first run, but she has not fully bloomed yet so it was most encouraging to win again,” commented trainer Francis Graffard. “Christophe [Soumillon] felt that the rain-softened ground didn't help and that faster ground would be to her liking. He is also convinced that one-and-a-half miles will be her best trip, so all this naturally leads to the [June 1] G3 Prix de Royaumont next.”

Sunly is the fourth of six foals and one of three scorers out of multiple Graded-winning GI E P Taylor Stakes second Suffused (Champs Elysees), herself kin to four stakes performers headed by G1 St Leger winner Logician (Frankel). Suffused is also a half-sister to the dam of dual GI Diana Stakes heroine Whitebeam (Caravaggio) while her stakes-placed dam Scuffle (Daylami) is a half-sister to sires Cityscape (Selkirk) and Bated Breath (Dansili). The May-foaled homebred chestnut is a half-sister to the unraced 2-year-old colt Parisian Scholar (Study Of Man) and a yearling colt by Kingman.

 

Another nice filly for the @GraffardRacing stable!

Sunly (Night Of Thunder x Suffused) accelerates nicely a couple of furlongs from home, making it two wins from two!@JuddmonteFarms | @paris_longchamp pic.twitter.com/rOY3Kp2u7U

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 4, 2025

Sunday, ParisLonhcamp, France
PRIX DE LA SEINE-Listed, €55,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-4, 3yo, f, 11fT, 2:20.06, sf.
1–SUNLY (GB), 123, f, 3, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Suffused (GB) (MGSW-US, GISP-Can & SP-Eng, $697,248), by Champs Elysees (GB)
2nd Dam: Scuffle (GB), by Daylami (Ire)
3rd Dam: Tantina, by Distant View
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Juddmonte Farms Inc; B-Juddmonte Farms Ireland Ltd (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €41,000.
2–Konada (Fr), 123, f, 3, Toronado (Ire)–Kookyluna (Fr), by Epaulette (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Ecurie Friedrider & Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Ecurie Castillon Bloodstock, Khalifa Mohammed Al Attiyah & Cyril Tricaud (FR); T-Jerome Reynier. €11,000.
3–Kiamba (Ire), 123, f, 3, Australia (GB)–Kikonga (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Meridian International SARL, Mme Aoileann Garavaglia-Drion & Ecurie Elag; B-Macha Bloodstock & Meridian International SARL (IRE); T-Mario Baratti. €8,250.
Margins: 2HF, 1 3/4, NO. Odds: 2.40, 7.70, 3.70.
Also Ran: Queen Of Science (Ire), Most Glamorous, Cortella (Fr).