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The Peninsula
Chantilly: Looking an exciting prospect back down in trip, H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani's Millau (Wotton Bassett x Sage Melody) showed a flicker of class when taking the Prix de la Galerie des Cerfs, a Class 2 Conditions for three-year-olds, at Chantilly yesterday.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the three-year-old gelding has now won three of his five career starts and was once again given a fine, confident ride by regular jockey Olivier Peslier.
Quickly out of the stalls, Millau was taken back by Peslier and sat in behind Coeffiente (Siyouni), also in the colours of H H Sheikh Mohammed, through the opening stages of the 1,200m contest. With a good pace being set, not many could get into the race from off the pace and the leading trio of Coeffiente, Millau and Reine Madre (Kingman) always looked to have the race controlled between them. At the 400m, Millau joined Coeffiente and the pair pulled two lengths clear of the field. Inside the final 200m, the strong travelling Millau was asked for an effort and quickly took a two-length lead. He galloped powerfully to the line to win by an official margin of two and a half-lengths from Reine Madre, who passed Coeffiente In the final strides.
“I am extremely happy with that”, said winning trainer Graffard said after the race.
Millau was bred by Sheikh Mohammed's Al Shahania Stud and is by Coolmore stallion Wotton Bassett (Iffraaj), who is also the sire of the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Wooded, who was also trained by Francis Henri Graffard and is owned by Al Shaqab Racing. Millau's dam Sage Melody (Sageburg) was placed third in a Group 3 over 1,000m.
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