By Tom Frary
Andre Fabre's legacy was already assured long ago, but the king of Chantilly's fire remains undimmed and Sunday saw a 16th G2 Prix Eugene Adam at Maisons-Laffitte courtesy of Gyllen (Medaglia d'Oro). Not seen since finishing fourth in the G3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp Apr. 15, Godolphin's homebred was settled fourth early before being sent up the rail by Mickael Barzalona to beat Crossed Baton (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to the lead 300 metres from the post. Asserting from there, the 4-1 shot had a length to spare over that rival at the line, with the G1 Prix du Jockey Club third Louis D'Or (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) disappointing in third, 1 3/4 lengths away. The race was marred by the fall of the long-time leader Native American (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in the closing stages when he was fading and beaten. “His runs early in the season took quite a lot out of him and he is a very light horse, so that's why he had such a long break,” Fabre explained. “He has really strengthened up a lot in the interim and is a lovely mover on this ground. That was a nice performance and he'll run at Deauville now in either the [Aug. 15 G2] Prix Guillaume d'Ornano or the [Aug. 26 G2] Grand Prix de Deauville, with the first option the most likely as he has no penalty in that.”
Gyllen, whose two wins this spring in a conditions event Mar. 11 and the Mar. 27 Listed Prix Francois Mathet came over 10 1/2 furlongs on heavy ground at Saint-Cloud, had cried enough in the Noailles but was a different proposition after a much-needed freshener. He is the last living foal and second black-type winner out of Miss Halory (Mr. Prospector) after the GIII Central Bank Transylvania S. scorer Stormalory (Storm Cat). The second dam Halory (Halo) has an impressive total of five separate group and graded-stakes winners to her credit headed by the G2 Futurity S. hero and G1 National S. runner-up Van Nisterooy (Storm Cat) and the GII Blue Grass S. winner and GI Champagne S. and GI Florida Derby third Halory Hunter (Jade Hunter). Halory is a full-sister to the stakes-scoring Halo Reply, who is herself a top-class producer and whose descendants include the GI Spinaway S. and GI Matron S. winner Strategic Maneuver (Cryptoclearance), dam of Ishiguru. This outstanding family also features last year's G2 Champagne S. winner Seahenge (Scat Daddy).
Sunday, Maisons-Laffitte, France
PRIX EUGENE ADAM (GRAND PRIX DE MAISONS-LAFFITTE)-G2, €130,000, Maisons-Laffitte, 7-15, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:09.74, g/s.
1–GYLLEN, 126, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Miss Halory, by Mr. Prospector
2nd Dam: Halory, by Halo
3rd Dam: Cold Reply, by Northern Dancer
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0, €140,100. *1/2 to Stormalory (Storm Cat), GSW-US, $181,245. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”frbc-trained-at-chantilly-2018″][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]2–Crossed Baton (GB), 126, c, 3, Dansili (GB)–Sacred Shield (GB), by Beat Hollow (GB). O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden. €28,600.
3–Louis d'Or (Ire), 126, c, 3, Intello (Ger)–Soudanaise (Ire), by Peintre Celebre. (€27,000 Ylg '16 AROCT). O-Camille Garnier; B-Dayton Investments Ltd (FR); T-Tony Castanheira. €13,650.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 18. Odds: 4.00, 2.00, 2.30.
Also Ran: Moonlightchampagne (Fr). DNF: Native American (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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