Sottsass rebounds to win Prix Ganay by a head at Chantilly

Peter Brant’s 2019 French Derby winner got back on the winning track Sunday at Chantilly – but just barely.

Sottsass overhauled pacesetter Shaman, who’d beaten him last month at Longchamp, but nearly got nailed on the wire by late-running Way to Paris, hanging on to win the Group 1 Prix Ganay by a head.

Sottsass, Christian Demuro riding for Jean-Claude Rouget, finished third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to finish his 3-year-old campaign but struggled home fourth May 11 in the Prix d’Harcourt, a race Shaman led from start to finish, posting a two-length score.

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Shaman went to the front again Sunday, but Demur kept him well within range, Sottsass taking the lead with about 300 yards to run. Way to Paris, who’d been second in the Harcourt before posting a blowout win in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly, followed Sottsass’s move and nearly ran him down in the final strides as Shaman faded tamely to third.

Sottsass is by Siyouni out of Starlet’s Sister, by Galileo, and has a return run in the Arc as a long-range goal.

Later on the card, Demuro and Rouget struck Group 1 gold again with Tawkeel, who looked like one of the better 3-year-old fillies in Europe winning the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary by five lengths. A Shadwell Farms homebred, Tawkeel, by Teofilo out of Rafaadah, had easily won her first three starts, all on all-weather tracks, and definitely was up for her turf and stakes debut in the 1 1/4-mile Saint-Alary.

Tawkeel began racing inside and behind the leader, Magic Attitude, before being guided outside during the middle stages. She attacked Magic Attitude between the two- and three-furlong markers, drawing steadily clear through the final furlong in an eye-catching performance.

* Saturday at The Curragh, Peaceful led a top-three sweep of the placings for trainer Aidan O’Brien in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas.

Peaceful, ridden by Seamie Heffernan, finished two lengths clear of Fancy Blue, who was a head in front of So Wonderful. Favored Albigna made no impression checking in sixth over firm going her trainer, Jessica Harrington, said she couldn’t abide.

Peaceful, who was making her stakes debut, is by Galileo out of Missvinksi, by Stravinsky.