Waldgeist lands Fabre sixth success in Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp

A great turn of foot from Fabre’s improving star saw him take Europe’s first Group 1 race of the season from Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man in second and race favourite Ghaiyyath in third.

Having slightly lost his way in the second half of his Classic year, Waldgeist was built back up gradually through the grades last year by Fabre including two late-season international assignments after his fourth-placed effort in the Arc.

However all form indicated the Charlie Appleby-trained Ghaiyyath would be the one to succeed especially after making a sparkling start to the campaign in the Group Two Prix d’Harcourt three weeks ago for his fourth win from five career starts and his second in Paris.
William Buick sent the favourite straight to the lead, but rounding the home turn both Study Of Man and Waldgeist were travelling strongly in behind. Ghaiyyath did his best to hold onto his lead, but had no answer as Waldgeist swept clear inside the final furlong and ran out an emphatic winner by four lengths under jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot. Study Of Man narrowly beat Ghaiyyath to the runner-up spot.

Waldgeist was claiming his third Group One win, this coming after the five-year-old was fourth and fifth behind John Gosden’s Enable in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the end of last season and finished fifth again in the Hong Kong Vase on his final start of 2018.

Speaking afterwards, Fabre said: “I am very happy. I think he is a stronger horse this year.
“It was good to see him do it over a mile and a quarter, but you must remember he was beaten a nose in the Prix du Jockey Club a couple of years ago and was very unlucky.

“We could go for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. I’ve put him in the Coronation Cup (at Epsom), but I’m not sure about that.The King George (at Ascot) could be a good option for him.”
That win in the Prix Ganay completed a treble on Sunday’s card at ParisLongchamp for Fabre, whilst Boudot would also go onto record a trio of winners.

Fabre also saddled the winner in the day’s other feature race, the Prix Allez France Longines, as Morgan Le Faye completed a comfortable two length success.

On this occasion it was Mickael Barzalona in the saddle as Morgan Le Faye led home Tosen Gift in second and Shahnaza in third in the contest run over a mile and two furlongs.

Fabre and Boudot’s treble started in the Prix du Pont Neuf, a listed race for three year olds run over seven furlongs, which saw Urwald come in a length clear of Becquagold in second and Simply Striking in third.

Boudot had to wait until the last race on the card, the Prix des Miramiones, to complete this hat-trick of victories. Here it was the Tony Castanheira-trained Hoquilebo who came out on top from a starting field of 18, winning by a length from Minnehaha in second and Mirrii Yanan in third.