Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (FR) has been firing in Europe this year with a trio of Group II winning three year-olds and one of those is high class filly Gezora, who soared to new heights overnight when taking out the Group I Prix de Diane (2100m) at Chantilly.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Gezora was a last start winner of the Group II Prix Saint Alary and took that good form into this tougher race.
She powered to the line to win by a length over the Aidan O’Brien trained Frankel filly Bedtime Story with two more fillies trained by Francis-Henri Graffard running third and fourth in Cankoura (Persian King) and Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), both Aga Khan Studs homebreds.
Bred by Haras d’Etreham, Gezora was sold privately at the end of her two year-old season to Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm and carried his colours to victory taking her overall record to four wins and two placings from seven starts.
"During the race I was trying to follow all three through my binoculars," said Graffard.
"I was a bit frustrated with where Mandanaba found herself during the race but they all picked up really well and there was a moment when I saw this green wave surge forward.
"It was an incredible moment, although I wasn’t absolutely sure we’d win even then because Aidan’s filly was finishing fast, but I was focused on my filly.
"That moment when my three fillies went to the front, I was on my own little cloud."
Gezora is a half-sister to stakes-placed Garance and is the best of seven winners from Group I winning Silver Hawk mare Germance.
She is the third Group I winner among 25 stakes-winners for Almanzor, a champion son of Wootton Bassett who stands at Cambridge Stud a fee of $30,000.
