Shuwari delights Ollie Sangster with ParisLongchamp strike

Ollie Sangster was thrilled to see Shuwari reward the patience of her connections with victory in the Prix de la Cochere at ParisLongchamp.

The New Bay filly enjoyed an excellent juvenile campaign a couple of years ago, beating the subsequent triple Group One winner Fallen Angel in the Star Stakes at Sandown before filling the runner-up spot in both the Rockfel Stakes and the Fillies’ Mile.

Shuwari missed the entirety of the 2024 season and after finishing sixth on her long-awaited return to action at Kempton in March, she was not seen again until placing third in Haydock’s Dick Hern Stakes three weeks ago.

But ridden confidently at the rear of the field by Mickael Barzalona on her first appearance in France, Sangster’s charge moved menacingly into contention halfway up the home straight and picked up well in the closing stages of the one-mile contest to edge out Zabeel Light in a driving finish.

Sangster said: “She was obviously a high-class two-year-old who has had her issues since then and I’m very happy for my dad Ben and the whole team at Ballylinch (part-owners) as they have been very patient all along and let us keep trying.

“We were happy with her going into Haydock, but we were very much using that as a comeback run and a springboard for the rest of the season. This was on more suitable ground today, we were cautious about the draw (stall 12), but Mickael gave her a nice, cool ride and I think she performed very well in the circumstances.

“I think she’ll improve again for today and we look forward to getting her back and hopefully having a successful autumn. She’s not in a few of those big autumn Group Ones as they close very early in the year and obviously we’ve had our issues so we were reluctant to make many entries.

“We’ll get her back home and see how she comes out of it and try to go back up to Group company, anyway.”

Afjan is in line for a shot at Group One glory on Arc weekend after narrowly denying Irish raider Havana Anna victory in the Group Three Prix d’Arenberg.

Havana Anna was a warm order to complete her hat-trick for Donnacha O’Brien following back-to-back wins at Naas, most recently impressing in the Listed Marwell Stakes in July.

Ridden by Gavin Ryan, the Havana Grey filly took over the lead from Archie Watson’s Shine On Me approaching the last of five furlongs, but Henri Devin’s Afjan also finished off strongly in the hands of Christophe Soumillon.

The pair passed the winning post almost as one, but the judge confirmed the Al Shaqab Racing-owned Afjan the winner by a nose and the juvenile could now take on his elders in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, Al Shaqab’s French racing consultant, said: “That was brilliant, particularly with him being a homebred colt.

“It’s great that he’s confirmed the promise he showed when winning on his debut. Henri Devin has always had a lot of confidence in the horse and after he finished second in the Prix de Cabourg over six furlongs at Deauville the other day, Christophe felt he had so much natural speed that the very obvious race was today’s.

“It’s very possible he’ll run in the Prix de l’Abbaye, I think – we’ll roll the dice. He’s got a lot of speed and he’ll carry 54 kilos.

“We’re not there yet, but that would be the plan I think as we’ve got very little to lose. He’ll have the weight in his favour and he’s now proved his effectiveness over that quick five furlongs, so why not?”

Espoir Avenir claimed a shock victory in the other Group Three on the card, the Prix Gerald de Geoffre.

Hotheaded was a short-priced favourite to claim a third win from four starts for Andre Fabre, but he folded after being rushed to the front following a slow start and it was Christophe Ferland’s Espoir Avenir who picked up the pieces, with Joseph O’Brien’s Emit beating Hotheaded to the runner-up spot.