Saint-Cloud: Village Voice strikes in Group 3 and should be back for more next year

Village Voice battled back having been headed by Manisha inside the furlong to earn a deserved Group 3 success in the Prix de Flore which opened proceedings.

The daughter of Zarak became Jessica Harrington's fifth stakes winner in France since Albignia won the 2019 Prix Marcel Boussac, all those successes coming with they yard's fillies

Village Voice's owner Patrick Cooper said: "We’ve been trying to find a ten and a half furlong race for ages and we kept running her over nine furlongs [1,800m] in Ireland because we couldn’t get one. This was the obvious race to go for and Jessie [Harrington] has obviously had plenty of luck in France over the last couple of years. So it’s great that it worked out.

"It’s been frustrating because in her Listed race she beat Jackie Oh and Lumiere Rock, ran second and third in the Opera. We knew the form was rock solid and things hadn’t gone quite according to plan for us. She’s been placed in three Group 3s before today so she deserved one.

Cooper added: I think we’ll leave her in training for next year. We were thinking about going to Germany in two weeks [Grosser Preis von Bayern] time but it will probably come too soon."

Belbek signed off in what is likely to be his final start before heading to stud with victory in the G3 Prix PerthCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

Belbek is likely to become Sumbe's first homebred colt to retire to Nurlan Bizakov's Haras de Montfort and Preaux in 2024.

And if the Group 3 Prix Perth was his last appearance on a racecourse then it will have been one that left a fine impression, as Bauyrzhan Murzabayev abandoned the conventional wisdom of the outer rail on soft ground and guided last season's Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere up the far side to get the better of The Revenant, the pair split by half a length and the width of the track.

Sumbe's Mathieu LeForestier said: "His trainer Andre Fabre felt it was worth sticking to the inside where the turf was less cut up and the jockey followed his instructions.

"It is probable that Belbek will join the ranks of our stallions next week and he will be the first son of Showcasing to stand in France. He won the Lagardere last year and while he hasn't had things quite go his way, he leaves the stage in perfect fashion."

Read more . . .

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Criterium International: 'Oisin said he’s the best two-year-old he's ridden this year' - David Menuisier revels in Group 1 triumph 

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