New G2 Winner Churchill
Churchill added a new stakes-winner to his tally in France on Saturday with quality staying filly Survie (3f Churchill x Sotteville, by Le Havre) taking out the Group II Prix de Malleret (2400m) at Longchamp.
Trained by Nicholas Clemente, Survie won her only two starts as a juvenile and has been placed in each of her three previous starts this year coming into this assignment off a second in the Group I Prix de Diane (French Oaks).
Sent out favourite she relished the step out to 2400m and scored by a length and a quarter under Stephane Pasquier.
“She deserved that after her brilliant effort in the Prix de Diane,” Clement said.
“It's a great job from the team and I am happy for the owner and his manager. It was a tactical race, but Stephane was in the right place and this filly knows how to quicken. She is in the Arc, she will have a break and could possibly run in the Prix Vermeille first.”
Bred and raced by Gerard Augustin-Normand, Survie has three wins and three placings from six starts and is the best of two winners from stakes-winning Le Havre mare Sotteville, who comes from the family of dual Australian Group I winning import Contributer (IRE) and Group I winner King of Steel.
Survie is the 26th stakes-winner for Churchill, who returns to Australia this spring at a fee of $19,800.