They’re horses it’s been easy to overlook - so far. Despite impressive recent runs that promise considerably more, they’re still largely below most people’s radar. They haven’t escaped eagle-eyed race analyst Geir Stabell’s notice, though. In the first of this new occasional series, Stabell makes the case for a French colt he believes could be destined for much bigger things.
He may have a low-key pedigree, he may have had off-Broadway introductions to racing on the all-weather last year, and he may never have been a serious threat to St Mark’s Basilica when finishing third in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas), but the sharply improving colt Breizh Eagle was certainly an impressive loser in an event where more things went wrong than right for him.
He looks a contender for top events like the Prix Jean Prat, Prix Jacques le Marois and Prix du Moulin later in the season.
Breizh Eagle’s Poulains challenge was not easy. He drew short straws from the post-position allocation all the way to the finish line. An outside stall is always a disadvantage over 1600 metres at ParisLongchamp, and Breizh Eagle was drawn 11. Forced wide around the sweeping bend, he raced too freely and would probably have done better with a stronger pace. He was near the tail end of the field turning for home, then caught a bit flat-footed as the winner made his first move.
Breizh Eagle did not look likely to make an impact but gradually he found his stride and stayed on by far the best of the beaten horses to come up just a couple of strides short in his attempt at catching Colosseo in the battle for second place. The latter held him by a neck, with the Ballydoyle colt St Mark’s Basilica landing the spoils readily by 1¾ lengths (see video below).
The winner was drawn in stall 6 and enjoyed a smooth trip, as did Colosseo from stall 2. Policy Of Truth, winner of the traditional prep, the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau over the Poulains trip, was a close fourth.
Breizh Eagle had also won over the course and distance in April, taking the Prix Machado (a conditions race) by a head from Bellharbour Music – with Colloseo third. He was giving both 2kg (about 4lbs). No more than a length and a half separated seven of the eight runners, though, and the Machado did not appear to be anything special at the time.
Looking back on it now, it’s easy to assume that it was a good race. If it wasn’t, then perhaps the view to take is that St Mark’s Basilica did not beat all that much in the Poulains. Unless, of course, Breizh Eagle and Colosseo both made abnormal improvement on the big day.
This is the beauty of 3yo spring form - the ifs and buts, the uncertainties. Visual impressions are often a better guide than the formbook in such cases.
Breizh Eagle got his head in front virtually on the line in the Machado, but he was a decisive winner nevertheless. As in the Poulains, he made up ground cutting into an ordinary pace that day. According to the Racing Post, the Classic was 3.5 seconds slow on very soft ground, while the Machado was 5.1 seconds slow on soft ground.
Comparing the fillies’ classic, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, with the Poulains is also interesting. Coersamba won the Pouliches in 1.39.3, while St Mark’s Basilica's time was 0.86 seconds slower. The Pouliches pace was 0.9 seconds quicker through the first 1,000 metres and exactly a second quicker up to the 1200-metres pole (equalling about five lengths).
How high Breizh Eagle can fly is hard to predict but, if St Mark’s Basilica is top class, then there should be a valuable race in this colt. There can be little doubt that Breizh Eagle is a progressive runner who has trained on well at three, answering the calls when stepped up in class.
Not seen on a racecourse until December last year, he ran twice and won twice as a juvenile, both times over 1500 metres on the Polytrack at Deauville. We now know that he is even better on turf.
Change of gear
What we don’t know is whether he will appreciate running on better ground. He does not show a round action and that he quickened up with give underfoot is a good sign. He changed gears nicely under a hand ride when winning a conditions race comfortably by 3½ lengths last year.
Breizh Eagle was bred by Haras des Evees and Daniel Cherdo, and he is trained by Joel Boinsnard, who also handled his dam, Breizh Touch. She won five races from 2000 metres to 2200 metres in the French provinces, and she stayed 2600 metres, but Boisnard said after the Poulains that he would keep Breizh Eagle in the mile division.
The colt does not hold an entry for the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), indicating that Boisnard has him down as a horse with more speed than stamina. He is a half-brother to Bopedro, a winner of a good 7-furlong handicap for Jessica Harrington at Cork in April. That was Bopedro’s fifth win to date – he has also won over a mile. Their dam acted on any ground and Bopedro has won on ground ranging from firm to soft.
While Bopedro is a son of Henrythenavigator’s half-brother Pedro The Great (a 6-furlong G1 winner who raced only at 2), Breizh Eagle’s sire, Bow Creek, was successful in three G2s over a mile for Godolphin, visiting winner’s enclosures in Ireland, England and Australia. Breizh Eagle’s maternal sire is Country Reel, another Godolphin trainee. He was a speedy sort, landing the G2 Gimcrack Stakes as a youngster, and running fourth in the G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (now the Diamond Jubilee) at Royal Ascot as a 4-year-old.