Zelzal Wins Jean Prat in Course-Record Time
Description:
With Gregory Benoist riding hands and heels through the final furlong, Al Shaqab Racing's Zelzal displayed an impressive turn of foot to win the Prix Jean Prat (Fr-I) in course-record time at Chantilly July 10.
Zelzal was timed in 1:34.48 for 1,600 meters (about one mile) on turf rated good and notched first top-level win and his second consecutive victory, following his 2 1/2-length success in the Prix Paul de Moussac (Fr-III) at the same course and distance June 11.
Under a tight hold, Zelzal raced in midfield as stablemate Positive Vibration set a strong pace, pursued by First Selection. Zelzal made his winning move on the outside with a quarter-mile to run and needed minimal coaxing from Benoist to secure a two-length victory from Craven Stakes (Eng-III) victor Stormy Antarctic. Spectre, who briefly led 1 1/2 furlongs out, stayed on for third, a short neck behind Stormy Antarctic.
Zelzal is by six-time group I winner and Ireland-based sire Sea The Stars, who is represented by eight stakes winners this season and 29 overall, including 2016 Epsom/Irish Derby winner Harzand.
He is trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, who won the Jean Prat in 1992 with Millkom, and has two other top-level winners this year for Al Shaqab Racing: the Coronation Stakes (Eng-I) with Qemah and Prix Saint-Alary with Jemayel.
Bred in France by Viktor Timosheno, Zelzal was a €180,000 ($229,680) yearling purchase at the 2014 Arqana October yearling sale, where he was presented by Haras du Quesnay's agency.
Also Sunday, Darius Racing's Isfahan landed the IDEE Deutsches Derby (Ger-I, German Derby) in a thrilling finish from Savoir Vivre and Dschingis Secret.
Finding more when called on by Dario Vargiu 100 yards from the finish line, despite the heavy ground conditions—described as like glue by several riders, Racing Post reported—the son of Lord of England won by head in 2:45.97.
Trained by Andreas Wohler, Isfahan settled in midfield for the early running, led inside the final quarter, and showed gameness under pressure in the final eighth to get the win.
Germany's highweighted 2-year-old colt last season, Isfahan was a €35,000 ($45,952) purchase at the BBAG yearling sale by Holger Faust, racing manager for Darius Racing. He is a half brother to German group winner Incantator and is from the family of German champion mare Indica.