TROPBEAU and Simeen both emerged victorious this week and now head the betting market for the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French 1000 Guineas.

The former, currently favourite, is the more experienced of the pair, while Simeen’s career has been nurtured by Jean-Claude Rouget in a manner that could be described as typical of an Aga Khan runner.

Twice a winner over seven furlongs at two, Simeen was out early at Chantilly on Wednesday where, after a hands and heels ride from Christophe Soumillon, she prevailed in the Prix de la Pistole over a mile. The bay is a daughter of Ballylinch flagbearer Lope De Vega (Shamardal), and she is the first foal of Samadrisa, a winning daughter of Oasis Dream (Green Desert) who is a half-sister to Sarafina (Refuse To Bend).

The post-race comments from the winning trainer did not hide the admiration he has for Simeen and her ability, and she will take a giant leap forward to contest the first French classic of the year for fillies. She will provide Tropbeau with a considerable challenge.

Simeen’s dam Samadrisa (Oasis Dream) won a maiden over 10 furlongs at Chantilly when trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, and her place among the broodmare band at the Aga Khan Studs was assured. After Simeen, she has a two-year-old filly, Samissiya (Teofilo), who is in training with Francis Henri Graffard. On May 5th she produced a filly by Dark Angel (Acclamation), and she will now be covered by Siyouni (Pivotal).

Sarafina

The dam of Samadrisa is Sanariya (Darshaan), and she was trained by Sir Michael Stoute who placed her to finish second over 10 furlongs at Yarmouth from five starts. What ability she may have lacked on the racecourse was more than made up for at stud where she had 11 foals, all by different stallions. Ten of these ran, eight of them won and another was placed. Three were successful at stakes level, the aforementioned Sarafina, the Group 3 winner Sandagiyr (Dr Fong) and the listed winner and Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Sanaya (Barathea).

Sarafina was foaled in 2007 and she was one of the best of her sex at the ages of three and four. She was also the very best runner by her sire.

As a three-year-old she won her first three races, including the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary and Group 1 Prix de Diane, before finishing third in both the Group 1 Prix Vermeille and Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The following year she won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Group 2 Prix Corrida and Group 2 Prix Foy.

Rated the joint-best three-year-old filly in Europe with Lily Of The Valley, the next year only Snow Fairy was rated higher than her among the four-year-old fillies. She was sold at the end of her career and exported to become a broodmare at Shadai Farm in Japan.

From a number of matings with Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) Sarafina has produced a pair of Group 3 winners in France, Geniale winning the Prix Messidor, while Savarin last year won her first two starts from Andre Fabre’s yard, including the Prix d’Aumale at ParisLongchamp, before finishing down the field behind Albigna in the Prix Marcel Boussac.

Last year the Lord Margadale-bred Tropbeau, racing for Lady Bamford, established herself as one of the best of her sex and generation. Trained by Andre Fabre, she made a winning seasonal bow at ParisLongchamp when she added the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte to juvenile wins in the Group 2 Prix du Calvados and Group 3 Prix Six Perfections, both run at Deauville. She travelled to England to contest the Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes and finished third behind Millisle.

Tropbeau is yet another fine advertisement for her Whitsbury Manor Stud-based sire Showcasing (Oasis Dream). His early crops include Group 1 winners Advertise and Quiet Reflection – both of whom won the Commonwealth Cup – and eight Group 2 winners, including the popular new stallion at Ballyhane Stud. He is French champion two-year-old Soldier’s Call, winner of the Flying Childers Stakes and Group 1 placed multiple times. Showcasing himself gained his biggest win in the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes.

Private sale

Tropbeau was sold in a private transaction as a yearling for 60,000gns to Willie Browne. Catalogued for two of the breeze-up sales, she took her place at the later one held by Arqana and sold for a nice profit to Charlie Gordon-Watson for €180,000. Her victory this week means she has won €10,000 more than her purchase price, while her potential sale value has also rocketed.

She is the second produce of her dam (the first died as a yearling) and she is followed by a two-year-old colt Toussarok (Iffraaj) and a yearling colt by Postponed (Dubawi). The former sold to Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock for 75,000gns as a yearling, while the now yearling caused a splash last December as a foal at Newmarket when selling to Anthony Stroud of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 280,000gns.

Anthony Stroud

Stroud was well familiar with the family as he bought Tropbeau’s dam Frangipanni (Dansili) on behalf of Lord Margadale for 78,000gns as a three-year-old after she won a pair of races in the colours Lady Rothschild. She is one of five winners from the Group 1 Darley July Cup winner Frizzante (Efisio) who sold for 500,000gns as a potential broodmare. Ten years later her value plummeted when she was reoffered at Tattersalls, her sale price falling to 60,000gns.

Frizzante was easily the best of the five winners from the two-year-old winner Juliet Bravo (Glow), though two others were stakes winners. Firenze (Efisio) is a full-sister to Frizzante and her six victories included a pair of listed wins and a Group 2 placing in the Temple Stakes. She is now a successful broodmare. Their half-brother Zidane (Danzero) won the Listed Abernant Stakes and was group-placed.

Go back to the fourth remove in Tropbeau’s family and up pops another top-level racemare. Countess Olivia (Prince Tenderfoot) is the dam of Donna Viola (Be My Chief) and this Group 2 winner of the Prix de l’Opera in France took her racing career to another level in the USA, annexing the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Santa Anita and the Grade 1 Gamely Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Tropbeau’s family shows lots of speed, though her victory this week shows that she gets a mile. Simeen’s pedigree is certainly stouter and a mile will be hold no fears for her. Who will emerge the better? Time will tell.