FIRST TASTE OF G1 SUCCESS FOR TRAINER GEORGE SCOTT

Caballo De Mar wins Prix du Cadran for young UK handler at ParisLongchamp

-  FRANCE GALOP

English galloper Caballo De Mar proved his staying prowess with his victory in the €300,000 (S$454,000) Group 1 Prix du Cadran (4,000m) at ParisLongchamp on Oct 4, giving young Englishman George Scott his first Group 1 win in 10 years of training.

Based in Newmarket, Scott has had great success in France. He notably won the Listed Criterium de Louest Stakes (1,650m) — a prestigious race for two-year-olds — with Command The Stars at Craon on Sept 6.

Trained by Andrew Balding, English favourite Coltrane (Oisin Murphy) did not waste time on tactics in the most famous “marathon” race in France.

The Mastercraftsman eight-year-old took the lead from the start, and set a steady pace until the turn into the home straight.

At that point, many thought it would be hard to run the four-time Group winner down, but fellow English runner Caballo De Mar (Tom Marquand, $23), who sat in second outside of him, quickened sharply and made his move at the 300m.

The two horses battled in the straight, before Caballo De Mar found a second wind to pull away from Coltrane for a134-length win.

Further back, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish Queenstown (Christophe Soumillon) held on well to run third another 114 lengths away.

A four-year-old son of Phoenix Of Spain, Caballo De Mar was a winner of eight races from his last Il starts - including his last-start victory in the Group 3 German St Leger (2,800m) at Dortmund on Sept 21 - and was stepping up to Group 1 for the first time.