Shareta Sails to Victory in Prix Vermeille

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Shareta took command two furlongs from the wire and cruised to a sharp two-length victory in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Fr-I) at Longchamp Sept. 16.

It was the second straight group I victory for the daughter of Sinndar, who captured the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I) Aug. 23. Shareta has now won five of 14 starts and has finished in the money 12 times for owner-breeder the Aga Khan.

Shareta will be pointed to a run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), a race in which she finished second last year at odds of 66-1.

A talented group of 13 fillies and mares went to the post in the Vermeille, which was one of six group races contested on the day. Shareta was joined in the race by her stablemate Sagawara, winner of the Prix Saint-Alary (Fr-I), defending Vermeille champ Galikova, Salomina, winner of the Preis der Diana (Ger-I), and Sarah Lynx, upset winner of the 2011 Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT).

In addition, there were several group II-winning fillies hoping to earn their first group I win: Princess Highway (Ribblesdale Stakes, Eng-II); Yellow And Green (Prix de Malleret, Fr-II); Solemia (Prix Corrida, Fr-II, over Shareta); La Pomme d'Amour (Prix de Pomone, Fr-II); and Romantica, a daughter of champion Banks Hill who had captured the Prix de la Nonette (Fr-II) in her last start.

Breaking alertly under Christophe Lemaire, Shareta sat just behind the leading group of Sydarra, Sediciosa, and Salomina through the first few furlongs of the race. Right behind Shareta raced Galikova, who was down along the inside rail, Sagawara and Solemia, with Princess Highway and Romantica settled in mid-pack early on.

Shareta continued to travel comfortably under Lemaire, cruising into second behind the leader Sydarra after four furlongs. As the field swept through the turn and entered the home straight, Shareta swept past the longtime leader and took command with little urging from Lemaire.

Shareta continued to accelerate through the home straight, crossing the line an easy winner. Pirika closed from far back to take second by a head over Solemia. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Yellow And Green in fourth, with Galikova coming home a troubled fifth after being stuck behind horses for much of the race.

Final time for the 12 furlongs was 2:29.06 over the good to soft going.

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, who won the Vermeille for the seventh time, told reporters after the race: "She loves the fast ground and she needs a good pace to show her true worth. She had the others in trouble some way out."

The winning owner, the Aga Khan said of his talented filly, "I was very happy with that, she's a much more mature filly than she was last year. We always thought she was good but now she has learned to accelerate."

The 4-year-old Shareta was bred in France, and is out of the stakes-winning Barathea mare Shawara.