Two new three year-old stakes-winners in two days for Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) with Oaks contender Gala Real successful on Sunday at Longchamp followed by Wootton Verni, who took out the Group III Prix Greffulhe (2100m) at Saint Cloud overnight.
The Jérôme Andreu-trained colt was tenacious to the line and claimed a neck victory over the race favourite Sunway taking his overall record to five wins from eight starts with this first stakes success.
Wootton Verni won thee of four starts last season at two, so is well seasoned for classic success and holds an entry of the Group I Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby).
Purchased for €175,000 from the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, Wootton Verni runs for Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois and Jean-Claude Seroul and is the first winner for Vernie, a winning half-sister by Kendargent to Group winners Volta and Calvados Blue.
Wootton Verni is the 42nd stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett, who returns to Australia this spring.
Starspangledbanner has had a hot run around the world in recent weeks and featured in Ireland overnight when progressive three year-old colt Bright Stripes upset the favourites to win the Listed Tetrarch Stakes (1m), a race won last year by subsequent superstar colt Paddington.
Trained by Andy Oliver and ridden by Billy Lee, Bright Stripes made a lie out of his disappointing seasonal return in the Group III Red Rocks Stakes at Leopardstown last month when he trailed home in last place on heavy ground. This time around on somewhat better surface, he let down with a big finish to overhaul the favourites and win by a length.
“We were very concerned about ground as he’s such a good moving horse," said Andy Oliver.
"Last year we didn’t get anything else and his run in the Killavullan (second) was on very heavy ground. This year on the first day out he encountered similar ground and just didn’t seem to like it at all.
“We expected the ground to dry out today but it didn’t and I thought long and hard about not running him today.
“Billy switched him off and he really accelerated. It just goes to show how much we really know! He was very impressive.
“The only day he got good ground was when he won his maiden at Naas.
“He’s in the Irish Guineas and all being well that is where he’ll go next. If he follows last year’s winner (Paddington) I’ll be happy enough with that!”
With two wins and two placings from six starts, Bright Stripes was purchased by his trainer for a modest 22,500 guineas at the Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale. He is a half-brother to stakes-placed Sunsprite from stakes-placed Dutch Art mare Dutch Rose. It’s a pretty pedestrian family with Bright Stripes the first stakes-winner in the first four dams on the page.
He is the 40th stakes-winner for Starspangledbanner, who returns to Coolmore Australia in the spring at a fee of $44,000.
