Monday 3 October 2022
Impressive Prix du Jockey Club winner VADENI proved the best of his generation in the Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the rain at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
The dual Group 1 winning colt finished a close second to five-year-old Alpinista, who incidentally is herself a tenth generation descendant of the Aga Khan III’s ‘Flying Filly’, Mumtaz Mahal.
Georges Rimaud, director of the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “He put in an incredible performance. Obviously he got the trip! He is a very good horse who was beaten by a very good mare today. He has lost nothing in defeat; he answered all of our questions.”
Princess Zahra Aga Khan added: "With not knowing whether he would get the trip – although with the presence of Monsun and Galileo [in the pedigree] we thought he would – and especially in this going, I'm very proud, and he was accelerating all the way [to the line]."
The previous day, the Aga Khan silks enjoyed success when EREVANN triumphed in the Gr.2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein. The Dubawi colt, whose dam is SIYOUNI’s triple Group 1-winning daughter ERVEDYA, finished strongly ahead of Group 1 winner The Revenant.
Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget commented: “That was the expected outcome, but you prefer when they confirm your expectations on the track. We had no doubt he would handle the [very soft] going and Christophe Soumillon did well to go for the inside rail. He quickened nicely, he is a very good horse and should be a grand horse next year. We won't see him again this season and [the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes at] Royal Ascot will be his first major target next year.”
Also on Saturday, Sea La Rosa – already a dual Group 2 winner this term – became the 18th individual Group 1 winner for her sire SEA THE STARS with victory in the Gr.1 Prix de Royallieu. The tough and consistent four-year-old is the year-older full sister to this season’s Group 2 winner and Gr.1 Melbourne Cup hope Deauville Legend, and is bred on the same SEA THE STARS/Hernando cross as Classic winner Sea Of Class.
Christopher Tsui of owners Sunderland Holding said: “I am incredibly emotional. I can remember back 30 years ago when I was a kid, I helped my dad with Urban Sea and we won the Arc. The whole thing started with her and then we had SEA THE STARS, Sea Of Class and now Sea La Rosa.”
