National Pride

NATIONAL PRIDE 
When a horse is named Miss France, she carries an extra burden of responsibility on behalf of her home nation. The Wildenstein family’s Dansili (GB) filly had already represented France with honor on her sole start away from home at Newmarket last season, and in becoming the first winner of the QIPCO 1000 Guineas for Andre Fabre, she continues to be the worthiest of flagbearers. 
In fact, the Rowley Mile has proved to be vulnerable to French raiders in recent years. Pride (Fr) and Literato (Fr) won back-to-back G1 Champion S. before that race was switched to Ascot, while Makfi (GB) landed the 2000 Guineas in 2010, two years after Natagora (Fr) triumphed in the fillies’ equivalent. 
Miss France’s return to Newmarket for the 201st running of the 1000 Guineas was an agonizing action replay for Sheikh Fahad’s Pearl Bloodstock, which co-owns the runner-up Lightning Thunder with Mohammed Al Kubasi, and the race’s generous sponsor had his hopes once again crushed by the flying French raider. In last September’s G3 Oh So Sharp S., Miss France held off Lightning Thunder by just a head. This time around the margin increased slightly, to a neck, with the runner-up’s late thrust coming just too late to reverse the form of their last meeting. 
Miss France’s victory gives Andre Fabre a full set of English Classics. Toulon (GB) set the ball rolling in 1991 by winning the St Leger, before Zafonic stormed the 2000 Guineas in 1993, the same year Intrepidity (GB) won the Oaks. Pennekamp gave Fabre a second 2000 Guineas success in 1995 but France’s 24-time champion trainer had to wait until 2011 to win the Derby with Pour Moi (Ire). 
“It was the exact opposite of how I wanted her to be ridden but it worked out in the end,” said Fabre, who was surprised to see his filly stalking the early leader Manderley. 
Maxime Guyon will celebrate his 25th birthday later this week, but the young jockey has already notched a clutch of major victories, including three French Classics. Prior to his 1000 Guineas success, his biggest win in Britain came aboard the Fabre-trained Byword, who won the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2010. 
“I’m really happy to win such a fantastic race in England,” said Guyon, who also teamed up with his boss to take the G3 Dahlia S. earlier on the card on Baron Edouard de Rothschild’s Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). 
“It has all ended perfectly even though I was supposed to be out the back early in the race. But Miss France jumped so well from the starting gate that I didn’t want to take her back. She was very relaxed and had such a good turn of foot for the finish.” 
Fabre and Guyon have also combined in the past to win the Prix de Diane with Golden Lilac (Ire) and the trainer confirmed that the French Oaks equivalent will be the next step for Miss France. 
Commenting on the Dayton Investments Ltd-bred daughter of Group 1-winning juvenile Miss Tahiti (Ire) (Tirol {GB}), the trainer said: “Her pedigree suggests that she will stay further so she should easily be able to get a mile and a quarter or even a mile and a half.” 
The news that Miss France is likely to stay at home for her next engagement will be music to the ears of second-season trainer Olly Stevens, who is aiming for the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot with Lightning Thunder. 
He said: “She has run a wonderful race and we’ve always thought the world of this filly from when she was bought and she’s run a huge race. She’s in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas but that race might come a bit too soon. She runs well fresh.” 
He added: “We’ll have to see how she is, but if it’s a case of going straight to the Coronation, I’ve no problem at all with that–I’m happy to do it. We had a fairly good line on Miss France this time and we can do it again. I’d never have dreamed I would have horses of this quality so soon. It’s the stuff of dreams.” 

Starting To See The Stars… 
The hullabaloo caused by the appearance of Sea The Stars’ first foals in the sales ring back in 2011 was naturally sustained once his debutants hit the track and, now three, a decent number of his offspring have been responsible for something of a purple patch of late for the Gilltown Stud stallion. 
His first group winner, My Titania (Ire), was sadly absent from the 1000 Guineas field after scoping badly, but another of his daughters laid down a serious claim for the next fillies’ Classic. Sheikh Hamdan’s Taghrooda (GB) stormed to a six-length victory in the Listed Tweenhills Pretty Polly S., posting an eye-catching performance which saw her shoot to the head of the betting market for next month’s Oaks. 
She became the second stakes winner in eight days for Sea The Stars following the Group 3 victory of Vazira (Fr) for the Aga Khan in the Prix Vanteaux the previous Sunday. The sire has also enjoyed success in decent maiden races of late, with Hadaatha (Ire) and Munjaz (GB)–two more Shadwell homebreds–both scoring during Newmarket’s Craven meeting.