3-YEAR-OLD BAY FILLY
ZOFFANY x AUSTRALIENNE (Monsun)
Trainer: Carlos Laffon-Parias
Breeders: Wertheimer & Frere
Owners: Wertheimer & Frere
Tasmania made more of an impact as a juvenile than could be expected given her pedigree. As a full sister to Zoffanien, a dual purpose hurdles winner trained in Ireland by Denis Hogan and a half-sister to Palomba, a Listed winner over 12-furlongs, who was also trained by these connections. It was a surprise to see her run with so much credit over the shorter trips as a juvenile. Having been 2nd to the exciting Philomene on debut, she quickly went one better on her 2nd start, picking up nicely to take a mile maiden at Saint-Cloud towards the end of September.
With that maiden win under her belt, she was thrust into the deep end on her next start just 11 days later, when she was entered in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Paris Longchamp on Arc day. Having been caught in behind runners, she was forced to switch and eventually found racing room on the far rail under Maxime Guyon. The winner, Tiger Tanaka, had a much smoother trip round, so it was with great credit that Tasmania finished within a length of the winner.
Her trainer, Carlos Laffon-Parias, told Jour-De-Galop last autumn "She will go up in trip, but for now we'll see how she comes out of winter. We still have to think about the classics, so it will be reviewed by mid-April. She probably needs a little more time. She will tell us".
She has entries in the the Classics, both the French Guineas and the Prix de Diane, as well as the Prix Saint-Alary and whilst she showed last year that she does have the speed for the mile, I think it is more likely that we will see her at her best when she steps up in trip.
