Blue Rose Cen ticked off the latest stage of a meticulously laid plan when roaring to success in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (G1) (French One Thousand Guineas) May 14 at Longchamp to claim a first classic victory for trainer Christopher Head and jockey Aurelien Lemaitre.
The trainer had surprised some observers with his serenity when the daughter of Churchill provided him with a group 1 breakthrough in last season’s Prix Marcel Boussac (G1), and while the latest inheritor of the Head dynasty mantle kept his cool for the most part once again, it became clear after the presentations that the enormity of what he had achieved was beginning to sink in.
“She’s brilliant, what a filly!” said Head, son to Freddy, nephew to Criquette and grandson to the late Alec. “She does everything easily—in front or (ridden from) the back. I just can’t wait to see her over a longer distance as we’ve been doing the same thing for several races now and we need to see something new. After the Prix de Diane we’ll see.
“I am speechless because you always dream about winning these races and when it happens, you’re a bit surprised. But everything has been done to get her to this race and I’m very happy this plan worked well.”
🌟 She’s a superstar! 🌟
Blue Rose Cen quickens away to win the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at @paris_longchamp for @lemaitre60LA and @CHeadRacing! pic.twitter.com/ZcSO7vUcBd
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 14, 2023
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While he has been the beneficiary of an enormous amount of knowledge imparted by his father and aunt, Christopher Head is very much his own man and the way he strategizes—along with Blue Rose Cen’s owner-breeder Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals—is quite the departure from some family traditions.
“The plan was laid out last year in a very intelligent manner and it has been a case of executing it,” said Head. “We have the good fortune that she is a filly who is ready every time we ask her, but the fact that she always shows up in these good races proves it is a good plan.”
Coral cut Blue Rose Cen to 2-1 favorite (from 11-2) for the Prix de Diane (G1) June 18 at Chantilly, where among her chief rivals could be Jannah Rose , the winner of the Prix Saint-Alary (G1). For those trying to keep up, Jannah Rose is trained by Calos Laffon-Parias, who is in turn married to Criquette Head’s daughter Patricia.
As in the Prix de la Grotte (G3) four weeks ago it was Lindy who came out of the pack and gave chase to Blue Rose Cen only to lose by 1 3/4 lengths, and trainer Christophe Ferland is unafraid to take her on for a third time.
“Lindy is a proper filly for the Prix de Diane,” said Ferland. “I can’t wait to see the sectional times because she has such impressive acceleration.
“She was a little taken off her feet early on but you watch out for her at Chantilly in a month’s time.”
Never Ending Story finished fifth for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, while the Karl Burke-trained Swingalong was last of the ten runners.
Reflecting on his Classic runners, O’Brien said: “Never Ending Story ran okay and it looks like it’s very hard to make ground from behind today. It was the same with Hans Andersen. It looks like the two of them might be ready to step up in trip. Whether it’s the races and they way they’re run or the horses, I’m not sure.”
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