04 October 2020

Breeders’ Cup in the mix as Sealiway and Barzalona demolish Lagardere rivals

04 October 2020

Sealiway absolutely relished the testing conditions as he turned the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere into a procession at ParisLongchamp.

Trained by Ferderic Rossi, the Galiway colt appeared to have a bit to find on the form book with the overseas runners, with a second in a Group Three last time out the best of his form.

That was a good deal removed from Clive Cox’s Nando Parrado, who caused a 150-1 shock at Royal Ascot and proved that was no fluke when chasing home Campanelle in the Prix Morny.

He was keen early for Christophe Soumillon, as Mick Channon’s Cairn Gorm set only steady fractions, understandably in the very soft ground.

Nando Parrado was well placed to strike when the small field entered the false straight, but as Cairn Gorm began to back pedal, it was Sealiway who hit the front and Nando Parrado had no answer.

The race was over as a contest on entering the final half a furlong and although there was little between the others, with Ken Condon’s Laws Of Indices sticking to his task gamely on the rail to claim third, Sealiway was a country mile in front of Nando Parrado.

For Rossi, who won the French 1000 Guineas with Dream And Do earlier this season, he appears to have another Classic contender on his hands, while it was another Group One for Mickael Barzalona.

Rossi said: “I’ve always thought he was a Group One horse, but to go away in that final straight was impressive.

“The initial plan was to run in the Prix Morny, but we very quickly realised that distance would not be to his advantage and he needed a longer trip.

From the beginning of the year I thought he was a proper Group One horse

“We decided to ride him differently and I told Mickael Barzalona to ride him the English way – let the horse him express himself and go early.

“The owners are happy to travel with this horse and he could go to the Breeders’ Cup. We will discuss that first before thinking about next year.”

He added: “For 15 minutes after Alkuin was just beaten by Princess Zoe in the Cadran (on Saturday), it was hard, but today is more the satisfaction of having trained a horse I have always believed in.

“From the beginning of the year I thought he was a proper Group One horse.”

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