Resilient High Praise Wins Prix de Malleret

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American-bred High Praise, a disappointing 12th in the Vodafone Oaks, returned Sunday with a resilient victory for jockey Richard Hills in the 1 1/2-mile Prix de Malleret (Fr-II) for 3-year-old fillies at Saint-Cloud.

The John Gosden-trained daughter of Quest for Fame led the field for nearly a mile before falling back to third on the rail. She was pushed along a quarter-mile from home, regaining the lead soon after and won under strong pressure by a length over Underwater, ridden by Olivier Peslier. Sweet Folly, with Franke Dettori along, was 3 1/2 lengths behind in third.

Saying High Praise, who was bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm, would be aimed at the Yorkshire Oaks, Gosden blamed the earlier Oaks debacle on her being upset.

"The filly likes coming to France and so do I," Gosden told The Racing Post.. "It takes me less time coming to Paris than it does going to York. In England I seem to spend all my time jammed on the roads and with the horses and seldom so the family."

Hughes commented: "She's not a big filly but a very gutsy one. I thought the runner up would catch us but then High Praise stuck her head out and battled on."

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