Prix Solow - Silius

A rare treat in the depths of a wet January is the best way to describe the Prix Solow at Chantilly on Wednesday. Although technically a Class 2 contest worth €12,350, the strength of the field assembled meant that this would not have looked out of place had it been run as a Listed contest on the pattern. Several of the big yards had runners, but if there was a horse to take out of the contest as progressive, it would have been Silius and he duly delivered. This was a 6th success in 15 starts for the son of Dubawi, who has a very good record at this time of the year and in truth, he gave his backers very little to be concerned about. Settled on the leaders quarters, he was always within a length of the pace and once into the straight, Stephane Pasquier got an instant response as he pulled clear at the furlong pole. The overall time was around 2.7s slower than the standard that I use for this course and distance, but the McLloyd sectional times show that Silius ran 5 consecutive sub 12s furlongs at the end of the race, including a race best 11.02s for the penultimate split. A top speed of 65.2 km/h in the straight was faster than any of his rivals as his stride frequency peaked in the latter stages at around 2.6 per second.

He’s a Dubawi Colt out of the 2013 Prix Saint-Alary winner Silasol and a full-brother to Wathnan Racing’s Canadian International winner Silawi. The Dubawi and Monsun cross has been successful with the likes of Yibir, Wild Illusion and Kazimiera too and there is certainly still a chance that Silius could prove to be the best of those. As a 3-year-old, he was given an early campaign, winning 3 times at Cagnes-Sur-Mer, a run that culminated in a comfortable success in the Listed Prix de la Californie. That form worked out reasonably well as both the placed horses went on to be competitive in pattern company later in the season, but it could be said that Silawi peaked in February. Although he ran well enough to finish 2nd in the Prix Djebel, a race where he split future G1 winners Maranoa Charlie and Woodshauna, he couldn’t carry that form into the latter part of the season. Given a 3 month break after running at Deauville in August, he probably should have won the Prix Tantieme at Saint-Cloud in November when Maxime Guyon perhaps hit the front too soon.

This is an early return and I am sure there is a plan with him as a 4-year-old, perhaps with a slightly more cautious early part of the campaign. This form needs to be studied. Tomakay, a horse who certainly hasn’t hit the heights that I thought he would, was given a patient ride before running on the finish a “never-nearer” 2nd. Quasar had won his last 2 starts before Christmas, but a rating of 44.5 kilos looks very fair and he seems unlikely to progress much further. Keshapour has had 2 starts in quick succession after missing the majority of last season. Francis-Henri Graffard would appear to have a plan for him at some point, but he looks to be very one paced at this trip and closing splits of 11.17 and 12.15s would look to confirm that. Breizh Sky went too hard in front, but probably isn’t the horse that he once was and Siam Paragon looks badly out of sorts at present. Silius got a very good ride from Stephane Pasquier and quickened clear in the manner of a horse who is probably better than this grade, even if the form book would suggest that he should have been able to do so. As 4-year-olds go, he is one of the more exciting prospects running at this time of the year and perhaps the Prix Saonois at Cagnes-Sur-Mer or the Prix Altipan at Saint-Cloud will be on his agenda in the weeks ahead.