Garswood, Sirius Win Group I Races in Europe

British raider Garswood easily held off French filly Thawaany through the final 200 meters and won the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Fr-I) in a top-level breakthrough Aug. 10 at Deauville.

 

Garswood, trained by Richard Fahey, performed creditably last fall at Longchamp when third in the Prix de la Foret (Fr-I) to Moonlight Cloud, winner of the previous three editions of Maurice de Gheest. 

 

Ridden by Gerald Mosse, Garswood won the this year's running by a half length from Thawaany and covered 1,300 meters (about 6 1/2 furlongs) in 1:19.71 on heavy turf. 

 

The victory marked Garswood's first win in five starts this season and fourth overall from 15 career races. He snapped a six-race winless stretch dating to a win at Goodwood in the 2013 Bet36 Lennox Stakes (Eng-III), a race in which he finished fourth this year in his start prior to the Maurice de Gheest.

 

Mosse settled Garswood in midfield as Fiesolana set the pace with French and German group winner Sommerabend in attendance. Thawaany was always in striking distance with Olivier Peslier.

 

Mosse sent the 4-year-old colt on the outside in the stretch and the colt wore down Fiesolana to take charge in the final furlong, where favorite Thawaany moved into second and held on. Fiesolana stayed on for third, 1 1/4 lengths back. 

 

Bred by Cheveley Park Stud and raced in partnership with D. W. Armstrong, Garswood is out of the Kyllachy mare Penchant. 

 

"In England he has been very frustrating, but he runs very well in France," co-owner Emma Armstrong told England's Press Association about Garswood, who enjoys some cut in the ground. "He ran at Goodwood in the Lennox when the ground was too firm, but we knew we would get our ground today."

 

Elsewhere in Europe, 3-year-old Sirius also tallied his first win at the highest level when defeating older runners the Grosser Preis von Berlin (Ger-I) at Hoppegarten.

 

A son of Dashing Blade—Saratina, by Monsun, Sirius wore down runner-up Berlin Berlin to lead in the final 50 yards and won by a half length with Stephen Hellyn, who was riding for trainer Andreas Lowe. 

 

Stall Molenhof's Sirius was timed in 2:31.50 for 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) on good turf. Unraced at 2, he tallied a third win from five career starts that includes a triumph in the May 31 Iffezheimer Derby Trial at Baden-Baden two starts back.

 

Last year's German Derby (Ger-I) winner Lucky Speed, the 11-5 favorite, finished third after taking the lead at the furlong marker. He was soon overhauled by German stakes winner Berlin Berlin, who found nothing extra when Sirius came calling.

 

Sirius was bred in Germany by Gestut Etzean and is from the family of Sommerabend, who was unplaced in the Maurice de Gheest.