By Tom Frary
All the signs were that the G3 Earl of Sefton S. was top form and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) confirmed that as he capped a stellar weekend for his sire in Sunday's G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp. Having beaten the subsequent G2 Huxley S. winner Forest Ranger (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), the G1 Lockinge S. hero Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Listed Festival S. scorer Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in that Apr. 18 nine-furlong Newmarket contest, the lightly-raced 6-year-old was awarded due respect at only 3-1 in his biggest test. Racing behind the leading duo early under Andrea Atzeni, he was committed approaching the final furlong and despite being chased hard by Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) held on to score by 3/4 of a length, with Trais Fluors (GB) (Dansili {GB}) close up in third, the same margin away. “He is an improving horse and we liked his last run,” Atzeni said. “Most probably, we'll keep him going at a mile and a quarter.”
Earning a first black-type success in the Listed Doncaster Mile last March, Zabeel Prince beat only one of his 14 rivals in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury two months later and was next seen finishing a half-length second to Mustashry in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket in September. When they met again in the Earl of Sefton, Mustashry had a five-pound penalty but there was a healthy 3 3/4-length margin separating them so the suggestion was that the Varian runner had progressed despite his near-veteran age.
Pascal Bary was offering no excuses for Study of Man and said, “He's run a good race and had every chance to win. The ground was good for him and he quickened well, but he was just beaten by a better horse on the day who is obviously an improving sort. We don't know what do next, he is in the [June 19 G1] Prince of Wales's [at Royal Ascot], so we'll see how he comes out of this. He could shorten up in trip again.”
Zabeel Prince is a half-brother to the G2 Blamey S. and G2 Back to Caulfield P. B. Lawrence J. J. Liston S. winner and G1 Turnbull S. and G1 Makybe Diva S. runner-up Puissance de Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) and her full-sister Queen Power (Ire) who took last week's Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial. The dam's first live foal Serena's Storm (Ire) (Statue of Liberty) was responsible for the G1 Coronation S., G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G2 Queen Mary S. winner Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), while the second dam Serena's Sister (Rahy) is a full-sibling of the remarkable champion Serena's Song who threw another Coronation heroine in Sophisticat (Storm Cat). Princess Serena's as-yet unnamed yearling filly is by Gleneagles (Ire).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX D'ISPAHAN-G1, €250,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-26, 4yo/up, 9f 55yT, 1:53.07, g/s.
1–ZABEEL PRINCE (IRE), 126, g, 6, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Princess Serena, by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Serena's Sister, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Imagining, by Northfields
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (325,000gns Ylg '14 TATYEA). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Roundhill Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-Andrea Atzeni. €142,850. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 10-6-2-0, €261,719. *1/2 to Puissance de Lune (Ire) (Shamardal), MGSW & MG1SP-Aus, $877,536; and Majesty (Ire) (Shamardal), MSP-Aus, $205,736. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Study of Man (Ire), 128, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Second Happiness, by Storm Cat. O/B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Pascal Bary. €57,150.
3–Trais Fluors (GB), 128, h, 5, Dansili (GB)–Trois Lunes (Fr), by Manduro (Ger). O/B-Haras de Saint Pair (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €28,575.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, SNK. Odds: 3.00, 4.00, 8.20.
Also Ran: Intellogent (Ire), Dream Castle (GB), Wild Illusion (GB), Knight to Behold (Ire), With You (GB), Subway Dancer (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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