More Group success for Makaloun

Bated Breath's son Makaloun started his three-year-old campaign with a win in the Gr.3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly today (11th May).

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 11th May 2021, by Sean Cronin:

His Highness The Aga Khan's Makaloun suffered the only reverse of a five-race juvenile campaign when a close third over 10 furlongs in a hot renewal of October's Gr.1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and bounced back in style to garner the Gr.3 Prix de Guiche, dropping down in trip on his seasonal return, at Chantilly.

Last term's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage and Gr.3 Prix de Conde victor went postward as the 23-10 second choice – for a heat won by Lawman and Almanzor in recent years – and slipstreamed stablemate Veldeni from flagfall in this nine-furlong test. Seizing an opportunity as Veldeni ghosted away from the inner and offered an open seam along the far-side rail into the straight, he bounded to the front soon after turning for home and kept on powerfully under mild rousting inside the final quarter mile to withstand the dual late threat of Millebosc and Listed Prix Maurice Caillault victor Fort Payne by a half length and a short neck for a third black-type success.

“That was perfect teamwork, the pacemaker [Veldeni] did a super job and Makaloun had the most perfect reintroduction,” said winning trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. “He quickened nicely, he was not finished at the end and didn't have a hard race. I saw what I wanted to see. With [undefeated Listed Prix de Suresnes winner] Saiydabad, we now have two potential runners for the [Gr.1] Prix du Jockey Club and, personally, I would like to run both. However, we'll discuss it with His Highness and the entourage to see where we go from here.”