The Group I Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1600m) in France overnight delivered a new Group I winner for champion sire Kingman when his three year-old filly Sauterne upset the short priced favourite Big Rock.
Second in Group I races in France at his past two starts, Big Rock was favoured to break the ice at the little level but came up short when the Patrice Cottier trained Sauterne stormed past him at the finish to win by three-quarters of a length.
Sauterne is a homebred for owner-breeder Jean-Pierre Dubois, who is a legend in the trotting industry in his homeland and has had success in Australia through Woodpark Stud notably with the offspring of champion French sire Siyouni including stakes-winners Aylmerton and See You Soon.
“It is a lot of fun for me to win a group 1 race on the flat,” Dubois said.
“It is so difficult to breed a good one. She is a lovely filly who has danced every dance and, except once, she has never run a bad race. She is an iron filly.”
Placed in three previous Group I races, Sauterne has been super consistent took her overall record to five wins and five placings from 11 starts with her first G1 victory.
“She has a lovely temperament and nothing ever bothers her and that is why we could travel her so many times back and forth from our base in Marseille,” Patrice Cottier said of Sauterne, who was offered at the Goffs London Sale but failed to reach her reserve at £1.2million.
“Every time, she has responded with guts and determination and she had done well since her last race in Deauville, she had a dream trip in the wake of the favourite and could produce her turn of foot. If all is well again, she will come back in the G1 Prix de la Foret.”
Sauterne is the best of five winners from Salicorne, an unraced half-sister by Aragorn to Champion French 3YO Filly Stacelita, a six time Group I winner in France and USA, that’s has also been a blue hen at stud producing Champion Japanese 2YO and 3YO Filly Soul Stirring and the dam of 2022 Japanese Champion 3YO Filly Stars on Earth.
Sauterne is the ninth Group I winner for Juddmonte Farm’s Kingman and is one of 21 stakes-winners this year for the champion son of Invincible Spirit, who has had G1 success in Australia with exciting colt King Colorado.
