Natagora made all the running in the Skybet.com Cheveley Park Stakes (Eng-I) Oct. 5 at Newmarket, going wire-to-wire to give trainer Pascal Bary his first win in England.
The 2-year-old daughter of Divine Light, under Christophe Lemaire, went right to the front in the six-furlong race and was not pressured until Fleeting Spirit and Frankie Dettori took up the chase 150 yards from the line. But Natagora gamely held on to beat her rival by a neck, with Festoso four lengths away in third. Fourteen contested the event.
In her previous start, Natagora had run second in the Prix Morny (Fr-I).
"I have waited a long time to win a race in England, so I am very pleased," Bary told The Racing Post. And I love Newmarket, having worked for a year here with Sir Mark Prescott a long time ago. I am very happy to win here."
The plan, the winning rider said, was not to take the lead, but he was forced to the front when the other riders in the field gave him the advantage.
"The plan was to settle in second, or just in behind the leaders, but unfortunately all the other jockeys were expecting us to go to the front," Lemaire told The Racing Post. "So I let my filly gallop on her way and she really relaxed in front."
Natagora ran the distance in 1:11.55.
Natagora, out of the winning Linamix mare Reinamixa, is a homebred, bred in France by her owner, Stefan Friborg. She also won the Prix du Bois (Fr-III) this year and in all, has won five of seven starts. Bary said Natagora would not race again in 2007.
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