euro racing
Baaeed makes his first Group 1 a winning one Jocelyn de Moubray reviews the action in Europe with Baaeed, the descendant of Height Of Fashion, winning his first top-level race The Group 1 Prix du Moulin winner Baaeed ridden by Jim Crowley
F
RANCE’S AUTUMN RACING programme returned to its traditional pattern with the opening week at Longchamp featuring the Group 1 Prix du Moulin over a mile, following a few days earlier the Prix de Fontenoy and Prix de la Cascade for unraced two-year-old colts and fillies respectively, races which still have a cachet for at least some of France’s leading trainers. The Moulin attracted a field of six, including the Group 1 winners Order Of Australia and Victor Ludorum, as well as the unbeaten Baaeed, but the race was without either Palace Pier or Poetic Flare, the season’s leading milers to date. The complexion of the race was changed when the Peter Schiergen-trained filly Novemba missed the break completely. Jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev rode Novemba into the lead, as we can safely assume the other jockeys were expecting, but she had used up a lot of energy to get there and never looked like creating a surprise from the front. As a result the race was slowly run and while Jim Crowley and Ryan Moore were always leading the remainder on Baaeed and Order Of Australia, Mickael Barzalona settled Victor Ludorum in last place a good few lengths behind his main rivals. When the pack began to sprint in the straight Baaeed had to be driven, but he showed his tactical speed to take a decisive lead before the 200m marker. Order Of Australia and Victor Ludorum finished faster, but they had given the winner too much ground to be real threats. Baaeed held on to win decisively by threequarters length from Order Of Australia with Victor Ludorum only a neck behind in third. The son of Sea The Stars maintained his unbeaten record and this was an impressive performance on his first attempt in a Group 1.
www.internationalthoroughbred.net
33
