French Classic Double for La Cressonniere
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Unbeaten La Cressonniere sealed a classic double June 19 when she captured the Prix de Diane Longines (Fr-I, French Oaks) at Chantilly.
The victress in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-I, French One Thousand Guineas) in May at Deauville, the daughter of Le Havre was brought from near the back of the field with a strong run. She took command nearing the furlong marker and went on to win by a half-length from Left Hand.
Ridden by Cristian Demuro for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, La Cressonniere covered 2,100 meters (about 1 5/16 miles) in 2:09.45 on soft turf.
Prix de Sandringham (Fr-II) winner Volta finished third in the drama-filled race, but La Cressonniere avoided trouble with a wide outside run, winning for the seventh time from as many starts.
"She is incredible," Demuro told Racing Post. "I said to myself at one stage we were too far back, but I know her by heart and I knew she could do it."
Trouble began inside the final quarter-mile, when Armande clipped heels with Highlands Queen and fell in midpack, and Tierra Del Fuego was pulled up entering the home straight, Racing Post reported.
After a stewards' inquiry, sixth-place finisher Highlands Queen, ridden by William Buick, was deemed to have cause interference and was disqualified and placed last.
La Cressonniere provided Rouget his fourth French Oaks triumph. Earlier this month he captured the Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-I, French Derby) with Almanzor, and previously scored a French Derby/Oaks double in 2009 with Le Havre and Stacelita.
La Cressonniere is the second French Oaks/French Guineas winner for Le Havre following Avenir Certain in 2009.
Saturday's classic win marked the second top-level victory in three days for the trainer, who took the Coronation Stakes (Eng-I) with Qemah June 17 at Royal Ascot.
La Cressonniere is owned by Ecurie Antonio Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand, also the owners of Almanzor. Bred in France by Franklin Finance, she is out of the Galileo mare Absolute Lady, a full sister to Monmouth Park stakes winner Paris Winds, who was group-placed in Ireland.