Andre Fabre has his first runners under rules this calendar year today and looks set to continue his approach of using multiple jockeys following the Pierre-Charles Boudot news yesterday.
Fabre’s three runners at Chantilly have three different pilots and he gets things under way in just under an hour with favourite Gizala in the 11.05am maiden over a mile.
Gizala is a promising filly by Invincible Spirit from the family of Prix de Diane winner Golden Lilac, who also represented these connections. She split experienced horses rated between 39 and 40 on debut and on that basis you can understand the quotes of even-money. Gizala will appreciate the step up to a mile today, being out of a Galileo mare, but I felt that her race fell apart as the normally reliable Super Khali clearly set a hard pace up front and ended up finishing unplaced.
Fabre has a great record for growing jockeys like Boudot and Barzalona – the next name we could see a bit more of this season is Francesco Satalia. Satalia has the ride on Gizala today and although the 7lb claim looks attractive on paper, I’m told he is a work in progress in the saddle. He has two PMU race wins to his name – the last of which came in September.
Malilouve is a plausible alternative at 12-1 for experienced Italian jockey Fabio Branca, but her 6th on debut was very moderate indeed. Have a watch of it for yourself.
Auctavia First will be settled in rear on this racecourse debut according to her trainer’s comments in the Paris Turf yesterday. The Queen’s sire Recorder is having some success at stud but this one was a €9,000 buy back last March and I think we can oppose her at 7/2. The owners Ecurie Hunter Valley are better known in the trotting sphere, so you would think that Christophe Soumillon will be under orders to give her a gentle introduction and not doing anything too crazy.
By contrast, Antoine Greizmann’s Lope De Vega filly Delida has already had two fairly comfortable introductory races at Parisian tracks (I include Deauville and Clairefontaine in that definition). The €270,000 yearling has just about the best page in here and can serve it up to the favourite. The yard could be in better form, but with two winners already this year, they are ahead of Fabre and Delida has been supplemented for this. She is a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Degas and G3 Mehl-Mülhens Trophy runner-up Dina. She has run to marks already in the mid-30s in my view and showed enough gears when last seen at Deauville to be effective over this trip. I agree with jockey Aurélien Lemaitre’s comments that she is a winner in waiting. At worst, she should really place in this company today.
11.05am Chantilly – 1.5pt each-way Delida @ 11/2 (William Hill or 5-1 generally available)
