Lesstalk In Paris

Lesstalk In Paris did really well to last as long as she did in front in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac over a mile at Longchamp on Sunday.

Jean-Claude Rouget's filly was pushed up early by Ioritz Mendizabal to get across from a wide draw, and she went a really strong pace throughout. The fillies who tried to lie up even close to her all faded, three of the four fillies who chased her into the home straight ultimately finished third last, second last and last of the 12 runners, and the other one to chase her, the useful Sandiva, also got very tired late on and faded into seventh. All of the fillies who were close up at the finish, with the exception of Lesstalk In Paris, had been held up, with the winner, third and fourth all coming from the rear quartet.

You can understand Mendizabal's plight, he obviously wanted to get in early from his wide draw, but the net result was that his filly almost certainly went a fair bit too fast through the early stages of the race in the holding conditions. The fact that she was able to last in front until well inside the final furlong and still finish second, a little way ahead of the rest, suggests she could be a high-class filly.

The daughter of Cape Cross had looked like a highly-talented filly in her previous two runs, on both occasions showing an impressive turn of foot and coming from behind horses, and she could be better ridden that way. Whatever her optimal style of racing turns out to be, this was a big run on just the third run of her life. The winner, Indonesienne, had finished second to the talented Miss France on her previous run and had probably been under-estimated coming into this race. However, she was held up off the strong early pace and came late, and Lesstalk In Paris could prove to be the better filly.

The Prix Marcel Boussac has an illustrious role of honour, featuring subsequent top middle-distance fillies as well as top-class milers and, while Lesstalk In Paris should be effective over a mile next season, she could also get further. Her half-brother Dastarhon was second in this year’s French 2000 Guineas and her dam, by Linamix, won a Group 3 race over a mile and a quarter. She is an exciting filly for next year.

6th October 2013

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