There were contrasting results to the first French classics at ParisLongchamp on Sunday with last season’s leading male St Mark’s Basilica proving best in the Poulains and Coeursamba springing a surprise in the Pouliches.
And while Parisian punters were looking elsewhere in the fillies version, Coeursamba was a deserving winner, running much faster time than the males.
In the colours of Abdullah bin Fahad Ah Al Attiyah, who paid €400,000 for the filly at last year’s Arqana Arc Sale, Coeursamba came through between King’s Harlequin and the favoured Mother Earth inside the final 200m to sprint clear and score by a widening 1-1/4 lengths over Mother Earth (Zoffany), winner of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket two weeks earlier. (pic: France Galop)
Bred in Normandy by Julie and Francine Mestrallet of Haras de l’Aumonerie, she was sold as a foal for €24,000 to Marc-Antoine Bergracht at the Arqana December Sale before selling the following year as an Arqana August yearling for €24,000 where she was bought by trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.
She won her second start over 1200m at Saint-Cloud before placing twice at Group 3 level in the Prix Six Perfections over 1400m at Deauville and the Prix d’Aumale over 1600m at ParisLongchamp and running respectably when fifth to Tiger Tanaka in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac over 1600m at Longchamp.
Making her seasonal bow with a third over 1600m at ParisLongchamp in April, the Pouliches is the second win for Coeursamba and her first at stakes level.
Rouget has said a tilt at the Prix de Diane is unlikely as he feels the filly does not have enough stamina which is a pity, as she descends from the mighty Pearl Cap, her seventh dam, winner of the Pouliches, Diane and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in a stunning 1931 classic season.
It’s commonplace for a filly to win the Arc these days, but in 1931 Pearl Cap was the first of her age to win in 11 runnings.
Bred by Edward Esmond, Pearl Cap is a half-sister to Bipearl (Biribi), winner of the 1933 Pouliches and another half-sister Pearlweed left the 1935 Prix du Jockey-Club hero Pearlweed (Hotweed).
Pearl Cap won five of her six starts at two, notably the Prix Morny and Prix Robert Papin for Esmond who felt the filly did not have the physical scope to improve and gifted the filly to his daughter Diana.
In the Prix de Diane run on very heavy ground she was tailed off at one point after which it transpired jockey Charlie Elliott was temporarily blinded by mud.
In the Autumn Pearl Cap took the Prix Vermeille over her stablemate and Epsom Oaks winner Brulette before tackling a high-class field in the Arc defeating Amfortas by 1-1/2 lengths with Prince Rose in third and the favourite Tourbillon unplaced as the 2/1 favourite.
Pearl Cap’s stud career started disastrously with just one foal (which subsequently died) in her first nine years before producing the 1947 Epsom Derby winner Pearl Diver.
Pearl Diver (Vatellor) proved a failure at stud and ended his days in Japan but one of her daughters Cora Pearl (Coronach) is the third-dam of the high-class American juvenile and successful stallion Cyane (Turn-to)
At age 22 she left Seed Pearl, by Tourment and inbred 4×2 to Pearl Cap’s dam Pearl Maiden. While unsuccessful on the track she left the 1966 Prix de Diane winner Fine Pearl, the fifth dam of Coeursamba.
Against this classic european female family enters Coeursamba’s sire, the precociously fast The Wow Signal, the first Group 1 winner from the first crop of Australian sprinter Starspangledbanner, a son of Choisir.
Bred by Mrs Tommy Stack, The Wow Signal won three of his four races, two at Group level in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot then the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville for Al Shaqab Racing and did not race at three due to injury, standing at the Haras de Bouquetot in France and shuttling to Swettenham Stud in Australia for one season.
Poor fertility restricted The Wow Signal to just 23 named foals with 19 runners to date, 13 winners and three stakes winners.
His 12 live foals from one season in Australia before laminitis claimed his life in 2018 numbered six winners, headed by included Gr3 Kevin Hayes Stakes at Caulfield winner How Womantic.