La Teste 16th May - Alpha Vase

PRIX JEAN-CLAUDE MAURAND

3YO Debutantes Maiden - 1,800m - €10,500

1:54.40 - Finishing Speed 111.9%

Alpha Vase is the only horse to really talk about from this maiden. A Sottsass Colt, his dam, Thais, was G1 placed in the US and he looks bred to be a smart 10-furlong horse. A PMU price of 2.9 (Fav) would suggest that he had been showing up well at home for Jean-Claude Rouget. Context is needed clearly given that he has beaten a pair of Fillies on debut here, albeit by 6-lengths. However, he started well from his low draw, held the inside rail and then quickened away to win as he liked in the home straight. Most notably, even allowing for the fast ground (3,1 on the penetrometer), he has finished in furlongs of 10.63 and 10.82s. Jean-Bernard Eyquem was clearly keen to educate him and he was driven out to gallop through the line, finishing stronger than any of his rivals. At this stage, he holds no other entries and perhaps a Class 2 race or a Listed race in the South might be the next port of call.

Rebinka (2nd) is a Sottsass filly who runs in the colours of Alain Jathiere. She received 1.5-kilos from her stablemate and sat directly behind the leader around the bend. However, when the pace lifted she had no response to Alpha Vase, finishing in 22.08s (0.63s slower) for the final quarter of a mile. Still a very good effort and nicely clear of the 3rd. Easily capable of winning a Fillies maiden on this evidence and probably bumped into a 40+ rated rival on debut.

First Concert (3rd) and in particular Baltic Duke (4th) have made good late headway without ever looking like threatening.