Gay Kelleway: her runner Swing Alone could only finish eighth
PICTURE: Martin LynchReality bites for Prod'homme andRuis
Report: France, Sunday
Cagnes-sur-Mer: Prix de la Californie (Listed) 1m AW, 3yo
REALITY (Didier Prod'homme/Sylvain Ruis) fought off a determined international challenge to land the first Listed race of the Cagnes winter meeting by half a length.
The Gay Kelleway-trained Swing Alone made the early pace a strong one, having appeared to behave much better during the preliminaries than on his previous visit to France.
But Francois-Xavier Bertras was already hard at work early in the straight, and the pair could only finish eighth.
Reality travelled sweetly just in behind the leaders, and after Ruis launched his challenge inside the two furlong pole the daughter of Slickly was always holding the Italian-trained Moustache.
Formerly with Richard Hannon, Moustache performed with great credit under his penalty for a Listed win at Pisa, while Germany's Final Destination put in good late work under Andreas Suborics to finish another half length back in third.
A delighted Prod'homme has been a stalwart of the Cagnes meeting for many years, but was winning his first Prix de la Californie.
"She's been working very well, and she's become much more relaxed in the mornings," he said of Reality, who took four attempts to get off the mark, but has now rattled off a hat-trick on the sand.
"It was her ability on the PSF [all-weather] which triggered the decision to run in this, but now she's won a Listed race I suppose we must think of a group race somewhere in the spring," he continued.
Also on Sunday
Cagnes-sur-Mer: Prix de la Riviera Cote d'Azur (Listed) 1m2f AW, 4yo+
Don Bosco (David Smaga/Gregory Benoist) stepped up on his comeback third at the track last month to run out a ready winner in the colours of veteran actor Omar Sharif.
Thomas Huet struck for home aboard War Is War as the field swung into the straight, but Benoist was sitting motionless on his shoulder, and Don Bosco lengthened impressivelyto put the matter beyond doubt with more than a furlong to run.
Saphir Bere followed the winner through the field and stayed on for second, while Amazing Beauty just snatched third.
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