11 Abr. FR. Prix Penelope. G3. Saint Cloud. 2.100 mts. Turf. 80.000 €
1.- GAGNOA (S.Pasquier)
2.- TOP TOSS (T.Thulliez)
3.- SANJIDA (C.Soumillon)


COOLMORE seem to have made an astute buy when they picked up Gagnoa during the winter because the filly, carrying the colours of Michael Tabor, stayed on well to win the Group 3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud yesterday, writes Desmond Stoneham.
Originally trained by Yves de Nicolay at Deauville, the daughter of Sadler's Wells is now under the care of Andre Fabre and was winning her second Group 3, as she had taken the Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville last October.

The filly relaxed throughout the early part of the race in second under Stephane Pasquier before taking the lead running into the last two furlongs. She needed to be shaken up at the furlong marker and finally passed the post a neck ahead of favourite Top Toss, with Sanjida half a length away in third.

Gagnoa certainly stayed the 1m21/2f trip of the Penelope and has been entered in the Juddmonte Oaks, the Prix de Diane and the Darley Irish Oaks. Before going on to contest any of those Classics she looks certain to take in the Prix Cleopatre or the Prix Saint-Alary.

Robert Nataf, who represents Coolmore in France, said: "The filly was very courageous and did just what Andre Fabre wanted her to do. She's now on target for a Classic programme.
"We just wanted to see her race today, and now all our options are open. The filly was very well ridden."

Pasquier said: "She certainly seems to be going the right way and was not fully wound up, as she asked me for a breather in the straight."
Nicolay trains the runner-up Top Toss, who was beaten by her old stablemate. She was given every chance but could never quite get on terms with the winner.
Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said of the Aga Khan's Sanjida: "She didn't appear to like going between horses at the furlong marker."