Juddmonte homebred Agave looks to have Classic aspirations after Saint-Cloud win

The start of the Flat season proper in France saw an explosive performance from the regally bred Agave, who propelled herself to the forefront of the Classics picture when running out an easy winner of the Listed Prix Rose de Mai at Saint-Cloud.

Settled towards the rear of the field, she was asked to close turning round the home bend by Olivier Peslier and responded well, pulling three lengths clear of Ondulee on the charge to the line.

Peslier said of the performance: "I'd hoped to be a bit closer but she took a little time to get balanced. She did it really nicely. She's a lovely filly and today she was very impressive after the last turn.

"That was good acceleration for her first time out this season, and she won that way last year as well. She's won a Listed race second time and the form is good so maybe she could improve."

The Andre-Fabre-trained daughter of Dubawi was notching up a stakes double on Thursday's card for Darley's supersire after The Revenant ran out an equally eyecatching winner in the preceding Prix Altipan, although the filly's distaff line is equally as exciting.

Juddmonte's homebred is the second foal out of the Champs Elysees mare Contribution, a winner for Fabre who was also third in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone and Group 3 Prix Allez during her ten-race career for France's champion trainer.

Contribution is in turn out of Concentric, therefore making her a half-sister to the great 11-time Group or Grade 1 winner Enable - who had her first foal by Kingman last month - as well as being a close relation to Musidora Stakes runner-up Entitle, who is by Juddmonte's late sire Dansili, and a half-sister to the Listed-placed Sea The Stars colt Derab.

Concentric was a Listed winner and Group-placed performer for Fabre and is a full-sister to Prix de Royallieu winner and Group 1-placed Dance Routine, the dam of multiple top-level victor Flintshire, and the Group 3-placed Light Ballet.

Concentric is also a half-sister to the multiple black-type winner Apsis and stakes winner Space Quest, herself the dam of stakes winner and Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris second Kocab.

Fabre also trains another potentially top notch Juddmonte filly in Raclette, a daughter of Frankel and multiple Grade 1 winner Emollient.

She was unbeaten in two starts last term and had been a warm favourite for the Prix Marcel Boussac before being withdrawn due to the heavy ground on Arc day.

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