France: Blue Rose Cen dominates French Oaks, notches milestone
Blue Rose Cen gained a rare place in French racing with a commanding four-length win in Sunday’s Group 1 French Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at Chantilly Racecourse north of Paris.
Blue Rose Cen joins Allez France (1973), Divine Proportions (2005) and Zarkava (2008) as the only fillies in the last 50 years to sweep France’s three leading Group 1 races for 2- and 3-year-olds – including the Prix Marcel Boussac for 2-year-olds last October, and the French 1000 Guineas last month. Those races are run at a mile.
Blue Rose Cen gave trainer Christopher Head his first win in the $1.09 million French Oaks at 1 5/16 miles.
Success in the race runs in Head’s family. His aunt, Criquette, won the race twice, most recently with Treve in 2013, the year Treve was European Horse of the Year.
Christopher’s late grandfather Alec won the race twice on fillies ridden by Christopher’s father, Freddy.
Blue Rose Cen ($8.40) was always near the front in a field of 15 under jockey Aurelien Lemaitre. Blue Rose Cen took the lead along the inside in the final furlong and pulled clear to win for the seventh time in her nine-race career.
“Blue Rose Cen is a faultless filly,” Christopher Head told French publicists.
“She has the conformation, the engine, the will, and the passion to race. She was an excellent 2-year-old, capable of being just as strong at 3. She came into this race with plenty of experience and never took a hard race. She hasn't been affected by any race.”
Never Ending Story, third in the Prix Marcel Boussac and fifth in the French 1000 Guineas for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, finished second at 16-1, a nose in front of 43-1 Tasmania.
Blue Rose Cen, an Irish-bred by Churchill, has won five stakes, including two Group 3 races for the Yeguada Centurion SL stable of Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals.
The French Oaks, formally known as the Prix de Diane, is the longest race for Blue Rose Cen.
European bookmakers responded to the win by dropping Blue Rose Cen to 10-1 in the future book for the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Oct. 1.
The $5.46 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe draws many of Europe’s leading 3-year-olds and older horses. Blue Rose Cen was not among the 74 early nominations for $9,070 for the Arc de Triomphe on May 10, but can be supplemented for $131,160 on Sept. 27.
The Japanese star Equinox (13-2) and English Derby winner Auguste Rodin (15-2) lead the early betting for the Arc de Triomphe.
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