06/10/00 Anabaa Filly Amonita Wins Group One at Longchamp
Leading first season sire Anabaa opened his
Group One progeny account when his filly Amonita stepped up in grade to romp to a
comprehensive two length victory in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on
Saturday.
Anabaa has 14 winners and eight
placegetters in France as well as outstanding Listed Gimcrack Stakes winner Donna Natalia,
who won on debut by six lengths at Randwick last weekend.
Amonita will target the French 1,000
Guineas with Ladbrokes reacting to her win by installing the filly at 10-1 second
favourite in early betting for the classic.
Amonita, prepared by Pascal Bary and ridden
by Thierry Jarnet, overcame being held up early and blocked for a run with an exceptional
burst of speed in the final 200m of the race.
She was runner up in the Prix Yacowlef on
August 1 at Deauville on debut to subsequent Group One Prix de la Salamandre placegetter
Wooden Doll, before winning easily at Longchamp on September 10.
Amonita landed the Prix du Casino de Royan
by half a length from an excellent field.
"I like her a lot; she went on again
when attacked, and many people have been trying to buy the filly," enthused Bary.
"Ï thought she had a great chance and
she proved me right. She will now be put away for the season and will come back next year
with the Group One Poule d’Éssai des Puliches (French 1,000 Guineas) in mind,"
Bary said of the filly who now has two wins and one placing from three appearances.
Anabaa is leading first-season sire in
France with exciting first crop representatives including the Criquette Head-trained
Glowing Beam, three-length winner of the Prix de Villebon in a fast time on his debut at
Chantilly.
He is regarded as one of the hottest first
season stallions here and was sixth on the list of first season sires by average at the
2000 Inglis Easter Sale with 18 sold at an average of $119,722 and his progeny fetching up
to $250,000.
The Maktoum Al Maktoum owned colt may
target either the Group One Grand Criterium at Longchamp on October 8 or the 10-furlong
Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Criquette Head prepared Anabaa to win twice
in 1995 before reeling off six straight wins in 1996 including the July Cup and the Prix
Maurice de Gheest.
Anabaa is one of the most sought-after
stallions in France.
The Danzig stallion’s yearlings
averaged FF483,333 at the recent Agence Francaise yearling sale in Deauville.
However, Anabaa’s fourth southern hemisphere season at
Widden Stud has been curtailed on veterinary advice as the stallion has a surface abrasion
on his penis that will prevent him filling a full book of excellent mares.
"We are very disappointed to report that Anabaa will
be resting here this spring as he has been extremely popular," said Widden Stud
general manager Derek Field.
"Anabaa suffered a minor injury in France that has
flared up again and although it is not a major injury it is best to rest him on veterinary
advice for 60 days, which means he will miss this southern hemisphere season.
"The long term future of the horse is the most
important factor and we want to give him time to heal properly," he said.
"Anabaa is an exciting young stallion and we
can’t take any risks with him."
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