Proportional humbles decent Boussac field
Rather than stay at home for the French 1000 Guineas next season like the new Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe champion Zarkava did, Proportional’s Anglophile trainer Criquette Head-Maarek could be persuaded to aim for the Newmarket version, as Finsceal Beo did in 2006.
Stephane Pasquier was in the perfect spot close to the pacemaking Marquesa, and Proportional (20-1) quickened off the home bend to come in three lengths clear of Jean-Claude Rouget’s previously unbeaten Elusive Wave.
David Wachman’s Moyglare victor Again was quickly too far back to make an impression.
Proportional, owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah, is a 6-1 shot for the Guineas with Stan James.
Considering Newmarket, Head-Maarek, now five times a Boussac winner, said: “Why not? She’ll be entered in the 1000 Guineas and she will tell me what to do. She’s the boss.
“The first time she ran in Deauville I thought she was a very good filly, she was my best and I thought she would win that race.
“She didn’t understand what we asked her at Deauville. She was green, then I ran her again and she won very well at Chantilly.
“I asked the Prince if he would let me run her here and I think we did the right thing.”
Jean-Claude Rouget said of the runner-up: “It was a very good performance and I bought her from Richard Hannon earlier in the year.
“She is finished for this season now and we’ll now try and get her ready for the Guineas.”
Lush Lashes has already claimed a hat-trick of Group Ones as a three-year-old but was robbed of a fourth by German raider Lady Marian in the Qatar Petroleum Prix de l’Opera.
Jim Bolger’s Lush Lashes did better at negotiating traffic problems than during her luckless defeat in the Nassau Stakes, hitting the front approaching the final furlong before Werner Baltromei’s late-blooming filly swept by and eventually finished a length and a half clear.
“She won easily but took a long time to strengthen up,” reported Baltromei of the unheralded 16-1 shot.
“We wanted to come here and then look at the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, so we must just see how she comes out of the race.
“I hope that she stays in training.”
Of Lush Lashes, the 2-1 favourite, Bolger said: “She had plenty of room to get through on the rail but has returned with cut on the outside of her off-fore.
“I think that will be quite sore and we’ll have to see how long that holds her up for before making a plan.”
John Oxx’s Katiyra stayed on for third.
“She ran very well but had a poor start and lost a lot of ground,” explained Oxx.
“She had a lot of ground to make up in the straight and stayed on well. We’ll give her a break now but I expect she’ll stay in training next year.”
