Patavellian and jockey Steve Drowne used burst of speed to open up an advantage in the final eighth of the five-furlong Prix de l'Abbaye (Fr-I) at Longchamp Sunday, and that helped provide the margin of victory over fast-closing The Trader. Beaten by a neck for second, The Tatling finished a neck ahead of Acclamation for third. The time was :59.3 for the five furlongs on heavy going. Nineteen competed with the scratch of Oasis Dream.
"I just thought we'll have a day out and see what happens," winning trainer Roger Charlton told
After being fitted with blinkers, Patavellian won the Bunbury Cup and Stewards Cup
"He was taken off his feet early on but he came good midway through the race and when a gap opened he was gone," Drowne said. "He's a horse with no vices, just fabulous."
The Trader lagged behind the field before but launched a powerful drive in the final quarter of a mile but just missed. Zee Zee Top Shows Legs in Opera
Zee Zee Top, guided with authority by Kieren Fallon for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, provided a thrilling closing charge to win the Prix de l'Opera (Fr-I) at Longchamp over Yesterday and Bright Sky Sunday. The 1 1/4-mile test for fillies and mares was decided in a blanket finish with Zee Zee Top hitting the line a head in front of the fast-closing Yesterday. Bright Sky was a neck behind in third, a head better than Trumbaka.Fallon's sweeping finish, timed perfectly to reach the wire first, touched Yesterday, also far back early, out of what appeared a certain victory after she had collared Bright Sky close to home. Bright Sky, the favorite, had taken the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile left, but she was unable to pull away and had nothing left when pressured.Helena Springfield Ltd. owns the 4-year-old daughter of Zafonic who was bred in Great Britain. Zee Zee Top, who enjoy heavy going, will not race again this year, Stoute said. However, Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Yesterday, said the 3-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Sadler's Wells could well advance to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. I). Yesterday has been second in three group I events this year.American Post Easy Winner of Grand Criterium
American Post turned in a tremendous performance Sunday in winning the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium, Fr-I) for 2-year-olds by four lengths at Longchamp.With Richard Hughes in the irons, American Post, a son of Rainbow Quest owned by Khalid Abdullah, looked to have the race wrapped up with a furlong left. Charming Prince, who led much of the way, finished second.Kieren Fallon received a four-day suspension for his ride on Acropolis, one of three horses in the race trained by Aidan O'Brien. The decision resulted in fifth-place Ximb being moved up to third with the other two O'Brien runners, Newton and Tycoon, being dropped to fourth and fifth.American Post, trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, cruised past Charming Prince two furlongs from home and pulled away handily.
