RACING/ST CLOUD REPORT:SARAFINA STRENGTHENED her claims for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with a fine success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
The Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained 4-to-9 favourite again showed a beguiling turn of foot to take this Group One over a mile and a half – despite refusing to settle early on. With Cirrus Des Aigles having set a lackadaisical pace, Christophe Lemaire’s mount only got going at the death, but the response was swift and decisive.
Indian Days, trained in Lincolnshire by James Given, finished last of the five runners.
Sarafina, owned by the Aga Khan and third in the 2010 Arc, was left unchanged at 12 to 1 for the Longchamp feature in October. De Royer-Dupre said: “She has proved a brilliant filly. The goal now is the Arc, with one or two races before that. I will look at the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.”
The winning post came just in time for Pascal Bary’s Testosterone in the Abu Dhabi Prix de Malleret. Stephane Pasquier’s mount soon led the Group Two contest and the pair held a decent lead turning for home. The challengers began to make serious inroads inside the final two furlongs, but the 2 to 1 favourite held on by a neck from Campanillas.
