Fair Eva was fully expected to get back to winning ways with the key being this seventh furlong, but odds-on backers had reckoned without Spain Burg who sprang from the French provinces to cause a surprise. There was little indication as to how she would measure up in this company, with wins over five furlongs at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat Apr. 24 and over six at Toulouse June 17 coming either side of a second to the subsequent listed runner-up Boos (Fr) (Dream Ahead) also over the former course and distance May 23. Her latest success in the Listed Criterium du Bequet offered more evidence of her ability, with the six furlongs of that Aug. 3 La Teste de Buch contest looking a minimum for her at this stage of her career, but it did not look promising when Frankie Dettori was struggling to contain her towards the rear early despite the honest pace set by Miss Infinity up ahead. Admirably, the bay had kept plenty in reserve as Fair Eva made heavy weather of getting past the long-time leader inside the final quarter mile. Only workmanlike whereas she had been dynamic in the G3 Princess Margaret S. in the summer, the Juddmonte homebred surrendered to Spain Burg's swoop out wide to take total command with 100 yards remaining.
Spain Burg's win has shaken up the profile of the 1000 Guineas market, with one-time clear ante-post favourite Fair Eva running so flat, and that is where the winner from the South-West of France could be headed. “They told me she was quite smart and has a great turn of foot,” Dettori said. “She handled the track well and came home really good. I was always travelling and in control and it was just a question of how she handled the dip.” Trainer Xavier Thomas-Demaulte added, “There are no races for her in France and it is a pleasure to be here. Since the beginning, she showed class and was my first 2-year-old runner this year. I'd like to think about coming back for the 1000 Guineas. This was a very different race to the ones she has run in already but she did it well, like an older horse. She won't run again this season now. The owner is Spanish. He worked a lot in Colombia but he has sold his business and wanted to have some horses. He spent a lot of money at the sales and has some of his horses in Spain and some in France with me.”
Spain Burg descends from the Listed Prix Imprudence winner Lightning Fire, who was also second in the G3 Prix Vanteaux, G3 Prix du Calvados and G3 Prix d'Arenberg before producing the GII All Along S. winner Beyrouth (Alleged) and GII E. P. Taylor S. runner-up Flame Valley (Gulch). She is a sister to the G1 Prix de la Salamandre-winning champion and sire Common Grounds (GB) and a half to the G3 Prix de Psyche scorer and GI Matriarch S., GI Yellow Ribbon S. and GI Santa Ana H. runner-up Angel in My Heart (Fr) (Rainbow Quest). She in turn is the dam of the G1 Epsom Derby-winning sire Kris Kin.
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
SHADWELL ROCKFEL S.-G2, £100,000, NEW, 9-23, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:24.92, g/f.
1–@SPAIN BURG (FR), 126, f, 2, by Sageburg (Ire)
1st Dam: Spain Blues (Fr), by Anabaa Blue (GB)
2nd Dam: Strike Alight, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Lightning Fire (GB), by Kris (GB)
O-Roberto Cocheteux Tierno & Mme Michel Thomas; B-Pedro Perez Fernandez de la Puente (FR); T-Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: SW-Fr, 5-4-1-0, $134,110. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fair Eva (GB), 126, f, 2, Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)–African Rose (GB), by Observatory. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Roger Charlton. £21,500.
3–Miss Infinity (Ire), 126, f, 2, Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)–Muravka (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire). (£80,000 Ylg '15 DNPRM). O-Mrs Jane Newett; B-Desert Star Phoenix JVC (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £10,760.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 14.00, 0.40, 25.00.
Also Ran: Glitter Girl (GB), Nations Alexander (Ire), Perfect Madge (Ire), Argenterie (GB), Exmouth (GB). Scratched: XXX. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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