Saint-Cloud: Romantica heads tough field in Prix Corrida

Romantica, a 4-year-old filly by Galileo out of Eclipse Award champion Banks Hill, makes her second start of 2013 in Friday’s Group 2 Prix Corrida for fillies and mares at Saint-Cloud, France.

Owned by breeder Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms, Romantica is part of a field of 10 in the $167,700 Prix Romantica, which is run over about 1 3/8 miles on turf. Trained by Andre Fabre, Romantica won her first start of 2013, the Grade 3 Prix Allex France at Chantilly, France, on April 29. A filly by Galileo, Romantica won the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette last summer.

Banks Hill won the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Belmont Park en route to her title as outstanding turf female.

The Prix Corrida drew a strong field, including Yellow and Green, who was fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe against males last October, and the stakes winners Fairly Fair, Grace Lady, La Pomme d’Amour, Pagera and Sediciosa.

Pagera, a 5-year-old mare by Gentlewave, was second in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine last October. She was last of seven in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt against males in her last start on April 7.

* Your Song, a 3-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere, will be favored to win his second consecutive Group 1 in Saturday’s $630,500 Doomben 10,000 at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane, Austrailia.

Run over about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf, the Doomben 10,000 has drawn a field of 15. Your Song, trained by Anthony Cummings, won the Group 1 BTC Cup at Eagle Farm on May 11 and has won 3 of 7 starts. The colt is by Fastnet Rock.

His main rivals in the Doomben 10,000 are Rain Affair and Better Than Ready, second and third in the BTC Cup, and Buffering and Spirit of Boom, who were first and second in the Group 2 Victory Stakes at Doomben on April 27.