Avenir Certain completed the French 1000 Guineas and Oaks double at Chantilly on Sunday to join such greats as Zarkava and Divine Proportions in winning both of France`s fillies classics.
|Last Updated: Jun 16, 2014, 12:57 AM IST|Source: AFP
Brasília: Avenir Certain completed the French 1000 Guineas and Oaks double at Chantilly on Sunday to join such greats as Zarkava and Divine Proportions in winning both of France`s fillies classics.
Given an excellent ride by Gregory Benoist Avenir Certain produced a blistering turn of foot to sweep past the leaders in the finishing straight and prevail at odds of 3/1 to give trainer Jean-Claude Rouget his third win in the last six renewals.
The 33/1 outsider Amour Papa, only trainer Jean-Yves Artu`s second runner in the race, finished a length in arrears in second under Pierre-Charles Boudot while Xcellence, trained by former champion national hunt handler Francois Doumen, had to settle for third just like she had to in the Guineas.
Favourite Shamkala, bidding to give trainer Alain de Royer Dupre his seventh win in the race and owner the Aga Khan his eighth, finished a disappointing fourth while English 1000 Guineas champion Miss France had problems in getting out to deliver her challenge and finished unplaced.
Rouget, whose training base is in the relatively unfashionable south west of France, was visibly moved by the victory and he said that he saw a resemblance between his champion and that of Zarkava, who won the race in 2008 and went on to land Europe`s most prestigious flat race the Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe later that year.
However, despite her earning a quote of 14/1 for the Arc, Rouget was not certain he would run her in it.
"People don`t realise how hard it is to get the horse right on the day and to prepare them for these big occasions," said 61-year-old Rouget.
"We thought she was a bit special but it was a high-class field, but Gregory rode her perfectly.
"I had only given him one bit of advice and that was not to panic, and he didn`t.
"She made me think a little bit of Zarkava. Avenir Certain won the Poule d`Essai des Pouliches in soft ground and she won this on good ground, so she is quite straightforward. I don`t really want to make a decision about her autumn program yet.
"Naturally, every trainer thinks about the Arc but I`m not sure it is the right race for her. I think she might stay, but, as I said, we shall see how things go. However, right now she is going to have a well-deserved break."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.