Araminta takes another step forward with impressive success in Prix Chloe for Henry Candy and Gerald Mosse

Henry Candy was able to reflect on a successful weekend after Araminta and Gerald Mosse comfortably accounted for her Group 3 rivals in the Prix Chloe over 1m1f.

A day on from Run To Freedom's second in the Pertemps Network July Cup, Araminta became Candy's first stakes winner in France since 2017, and his biggest cross-channel success since Limato landed the Prix de la Foret at Chantilly in 2016. 

Seven weeks on from her defeat of Understated in Goodwood's Height of Fashion Stakes, the imposing daughter of Gleneagles took up the running early in the straight and, while the threats came from all sides, Araminta went away again at the furlong marker to run out a length and a quarter superior to Excellent Truth.

"She strode out well and did it very easily," said Candy. "Her first run was over seven furlongs so I wasn’t too bothered coming back a furlong. There’s a serious shortage of opportunities for a horse like her but this was the perfect race."

Araminta and Gerald Mosse return after success in the G3 Prix Chloe

Araminta's only future engagement is in the Qatar Nassau Stakes back at Goodwood in 18 days' time, for which she is a general 25-1 chance. 

"If she comes back in really good form we could think about the Nassau, although there’s not much time and it will be highly competitive," said Candy. "But we would bear it in mind. Otherwise I haven’t got any firm plans

"She’s an enormous filly and she’ll be even better next year I would imagine."

Arguably the main attraction in the Prix Messidor was lost when Erevann was declared a non-runner after banging a leg in his stable, the subsequent bruise only likely to hold him up "for a few days" according to trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.

Fast Raaj took full advantage of Erevann's absence to overturn 1-2 favourite Topgear, giving jockey Alexis Pouchin the fourth Group race success of his career, all of which have been earned this year.

"He can be a tricky ride in that he sometimes pulls a bit but I let him stride on and settle behind Reshabar and he was able to produce his best at the finish," said Pouchin. 

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