Siyouni’s Ervedya Strikes For the Fillies In the Moulin

Hit by four significant withdrawals due to the very soft ground, this renewal was partly salvaged as the class act prevailed in the shape of Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who further enhanced the reputation of the current crop of sophomore fillies. Less than 24 hours after her arch-rival Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had beaten all bar Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the Irish Champion, Ervedya who had eclipsed that filly in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 19 started as the even-money favorite with potentially serious opponents Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Territories (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Arod (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Dutch Connection (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) all ruled out. Anchored in second early by Christophe Soumillon following Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein), the free-running bay needed a gap in the straight but when it came she was able to wear down the long-time leader passing the furlong marker en route to a length success from the strong-closing outsider Akatea (Ire) (Shamardal), another 3-year-old filly, who edged out Karakontie by a length. “What a nice filly she is–she never disappoints or runs a bad race,” the owner-breeder’s racing manager Georges Rimaud said. “She had run well on soft before, but never on such a heavy surface so we had slight doubts beforehand. She ran great again and is just a sweet little filly. We think she is through for the season and will have a long break, as we intend to keep her in training next season.” Ervedya had already shone over this course and distance when winning the May 10 G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches before her Royal Ascot exploits, but had hit a wall last time in the form of Amazing Maria (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) when runner-up in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville Aug. 2. With such a depleted field to face here, the only anxious moment for owner-breeder came when the German raider Wild Chief (Ger) (Doyen {Ire}) tried to pin her in behind Karakontie in the home straight. “It looked for a few seconds as if she would get shut in, but it’s a mark of her quality that she found her way out and like so many in her family displayed the quality that we have come to expect from them,” His Highness The Aga Khan commented.

Sunday, Longchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DU MOULIN DE LONGCHAMP-G1, €450,000, LCP, 9-13, 3yo/up, c/f/m, 8fT, 1:42.26, vsf.
1–ERVEDYA (FR), 121, f, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Elva (Ire) (GSP-Fr), by King’s Best
2nd Dam: Evora (Ire), by Marju (Ire)
3rd Dam: Eviyrna, by The Minstrel
O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan’s Studs SC (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Christophe Soumillon. €257,130. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 10 starts, 8 wins, 2 places, €1,088,525. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Akatea (Ire), 121, f, 3, Shamardal–Altamira (GB), by Peintre Celebre. O-Wildenstein Stables Ltd; B-Dayton Investments Ltd (IRE); T-Alain de Royer-Dupre. €102,870.
3–Karakontie (Jpn), 129, c, 4, Bernstein–Sun Is Up (Jpn), by Sunday Silence. O-Niarchos Family; B-Flaxman Holdings Limited (JPN); T-Jonathan Pease. €51,435.
Margins: 1, 1, HD. Odds: 1.00, 12.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Maimara (Fr), Wild Chief (Ger), Guiliani (Ire). Scratched: Arod (Ire), Esoterique (Ire), Territories (Ire), Dutch Connection (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.