Australia Celebrates Weekend Stakes Double

The Andre Fabre-trained Mare Australis (3c Australia - Miramare, by Rainbow Quest) raced home strongly to justify favouritism in Sunday’s Listed Prix de l’Avre at Chantilly.

Successful on his sole start last season, the chesnut finished a promising fourth on his seasonal return last month and stepped up in trip to a mile and a half for the Listed contest. Pierre-Charles Boudot rode the colt to chase the leader and was asked to quicken turning for home. Driven out in the straight, he ran on strongly inside the final furlong to win by a short neck.

Another step up in class may now be on the cards for Mare Australis, who holds entries in the Prix du Jockey Club and Grand Prix de Paris. The Stall Ullmann homebred is the best performer out of the Listed-placed mare Miramare, herself a half-sister to the high-class Macleya.

Mare Australis becomes the second Stakes winner of the weekend for Australia, following Leo De Fury’s impressive win in Saturday’s Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes.