Gold Luck Wins Prix Vanteaux in France

Two of the four group races on Chantilly's April 9 card might have unleashed a pair of serious contenders for the upcoming classics.

The Prix Vanteaux (G3), a nine-furlong trip for 3-year-old fillies, found a well-bred field of nine heading to post and the Wertheimer family's homebred Gold Luck, trained by Freddy Head and ridden by Maxime Guyon, scored by a short head.

Vue Fantastique, with Olivier Peslier at the helm, led the field through the early stages until Monroe Bay took over after three furlongs.

Reluctant to load, Gold Luck showed no hesitation when the gates opened and after traveling midpack moved up to engage favorite Monroe Bay. The top pair maintained their advantage until Gold Luck inched ahead of her rival nearing the wire and held the advantage to win in a final time of 1:50.21 on the good turf. Hebah, a daughter of Sea The Stars, extricated herself from traffic to close well for third, a head back. 

If ever a horse were bred for the classics, it would be Gold Luck. A daughter of Australian leading sire and classic winner Redoute's Choice, Good Luck is a half sister, from the Blushing Groom mare Born Gold, to the Wertheimers' multiple champion Goldikova, group 1 winner Galikova, and three other group winners. 

The male counterpart to the Prix Vanteaux, the Prix La Force (G3) at nine furlongs for colts and geldings followed, featuring 11 classic hopefuls, many making their first starts of the year.

In another close finish, Graphite and jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot, who bided their time along the rail, employed a sparkling turn of foot to wrest the lead from the pacesetting Saglaway a furlong from the finish. Despite a furious closing run from Phelps Win and Franz Schubert, who finished second and third, respectively, Graphite had a neck advantage at the wire. The 1:48.27 trip was more than two seconds faster than the fillies in the previous race. 

A son of Shamardal (Giant's Causeway  ), Graphite was bred by Haras de Saint Pair out of the Linamix mare Fairly Grey and acquired at the Arqana October yearling sale by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for $283,175. Raced by Godolphin, he won one of two starts last year. 

Godolphin blue and Fabre were in the winner's circle again following the group 2 Prix d'Harcourt. Cloth of Stars, who won the Prix Exbury (G3) at Saint Cloud in March, upped the ante this time out. Content to stroll through the early furlongs, the bay son of Sea The Stars was put to the task by jockey Mickael Barzalona and took the wide route to the wire, getting ahead of Mekhtaal by a neck, and traveled the 10 furlongs in 1:58.77.

In another race with classic considerations for German-raced 3-year-olds, Windstoss, took the listed 11-furlong Derby Trial at Dusseldorf for owner Gestut Rottgen. Windstoss is a son of Shirocco (Monsun) out of the winning Sternkonig mare Wellenstpiel. Dr. Christoph Berglar's Nerud, a Kentucky-bred son of Bernardini  , finished second.