The Gurkha Filly Defeats Classy Field At Saint Cloud

The progressive Frenchette (3f The Gurkha - Miryale, by Anabaa) beat a competitive field to win the Prix Kizil Kourgan, a Class 2 conditions contest, at Saint-Cloud on Monday afternoon.

The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained filly won a maiden on her second start in October and went on to chase home the well-regarded Midlife Crisis (Wootton Bassett) in a Class 2 race at Chantilly. Drawn widest of the three-year-old fillies on Monday, the chesnut led in the early stages of the mile race and was asked to quicken from two furlongs out. Running on well, she was never headed and finished strongly to win by half a length under Coralie Pacaut.

Adding to the taking nature of Frenchette’s latest victory was that the second, third and fourth horses home all hold entries in the French Classics.

Bought by Rouget as a yearling for €75,000, Frenchette runs in the colours of Ecurie Phillipe Segalot. Bred by Erwan and Mickael Robin, she hails from the first crop of The Gurkha, who himself enjoyed Group 1 success in France when taking the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains by five and a half lengths. The well-bred son of Galileo registered his second top-flight victory in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.