Prix de Royallieu Gives Sea La Rosa Group 1 Honors

Amazing things happen when owner Christopher Tsui comes to Longchamp. We saw that again Oct. 1 at ParisLongchamp, when we may also have seen the last of an Australian racing superstar.

For the connections of Verry Elleegant , a disappointing week got no better when the 11-time group 1 winner managed to beat only three of nine rivals in a Qatar Prix de Royallieu (G1) won for the Tsui family's Sunderland Holding by the William Haggas-trained Sea La Rosa . 

In following up a brace of group 2 wins with a first triumph at the highest level with a length score over Jannah Flower , the British raider under Tom Marquand maintained her family's ParisLongchamp tradition. Sire Sea The Stars  won the 2009 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) while his dam Urban Sea landed the 1993 Arc, and Sea Of Class, another Tsui-owned daughter of Sea The Stars, was an unlucky Arc second to Enable four years ago.

William Haggas was frustrated on that occasion but victorious this time, much to the delight of the winning owner.

"It is always great to come back to Longchamp on Arc weekend," said Tsui. "This meeting has always been good to us and it's always very emotional. I can tell you my heart was racing!"

There was much less cheer for those associated with Verry Elleegant. Earlier in the week they had been annoyed she was not able to get a place in the Arc, but even in this lesser company the 7-year-old was unable to land a blow under rider Mark Zahra.

"The circumstances today made it hard to get a good guide about her," said Zahra. "They didn't go a strong gallop, so by the time I got out and found clear running room, they were off and gone. I think they are looking at Ascot and I think she is worth another chance. How much longer she has left, I don't know."

When asked if Verry Elleegant would go on to the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (G1) or head home in retirement, trainer Francis Graffard was non-committal.

"Everything we didn't want happened," said Graffard. "She was in traffic, stuck on the rail, and poor Mark couldn't do anything. Everything went against us."