France: Iresine uses outside rally for Prix Ganay victory
Iresine stormed home, last to first with an outside rally, to win the Prix Ganay on Sunday in France at Longchamp, the first Group 1 of the European flat-racing season.
Four-year-old Iresine reversed the form with Ganay runner-up Simca Mille, another 4-year-old who had beaten Iresine on April 9 in the Prix d’Harcourt. Simca Mille just edged out Bay Bridge, who finished third while racing for the first time since winning the Group 1 Champions Stakes in October. Bay Bridge was the strong second choice in the wagering behind favored Vadeni, who finished fourth in his first start since running second last fall in the Prix de l’Arc d’Triomphe.
The Ganay was run over a very soft course, evidenced by a clocking of 2:13.39, the race’s slowest winning time since 2015, and the horses with a race this year clearly had an edge. That said, Vadeni won the French Derby and the Eclipse during 2022 and is a top-level horse, Bay Bridge also highly regarded: The winner is for real, at least on courses with give in the ground.
Iresine stretched out to 1 15/16 miles winning the Prix Royal-Oak, his Group 1 debut, to cap his 3-year-old campaign but in his previous start had captured the Group 2 Prix Foy over 1 1/2 miles and now has gone down in trip again to land his most important victory.
Iresine was purchased at auction for about $6,700 by his trainer, Jean-Pierre Gauvin, who had a moment in 2012 when Saonois came out of provincial tracks to win the French Derby. Gauvin trains a modest string far from Paris in the southeast part of France in Saint-Cyr-les-Vignes. The nearest city is Lyon, and it was there, at Lyon-Parilly, where Iresine made six of his first 10 starts.
Iresine is far better than a good minor-track horse. Ridden since his second start by the little-known jockey Marie Velon, whose first Group 1 came in the Prix Royal-Oak, Iresine was held up in last for much of the Ganay, but as soon as Velon pushed the button, with about a quarter-mile left, Iresine kicked into high gear. Coming powerfully with a sustained run, Iresine looked like a winner a furlong from the finish and blew past Simca Mille and Bay Bridge to score by 1 1/4 lengths. Iresine is by Manduro out of Inanga, by Oasis Dream, and it will be interesting to see just how high his star can rise this year.
As for Bay Bridge, he came under a strong Ryan Moore ride even before turning for home but could only muster a grinding finish. Vadeni, who surely prefers a quicker course, got stuck behind rivals in upper stretch but had no real punch once clear and was kindly ridden through the final half-furlong when his defeat became clear. He checked in 1 1/2 lengths behind Bay Bridge and one length in front of 2022 Prix de l’Opera winner Place du Carrousel, who never factored in her first start following a winter break.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.