Date

Tuesday 3 May 2022

Venue

Chantilly

Race

R3 - Prix de la Calèche des Impératrices (2400m)

Type

Maiden for three-year-old fillies

Winner

Manisha

Jockey

Hugo Besnier

Trainer

André Fabre

Breeding

Lope de Vega x Mahati

Second

 Secret Sky

Third

 Sécession

Manisha continued her progressive profile on Tuesday at Chantilly when getting off the mark in style at the fourth attempt.

The small field of six went a slow early pace as they raced off the home straight, before diagonally crossing to the far side and beginning the loop. Winner, Manisha travelled kindly in fourth position, three lengths off the leader, Assyrian Queen who began a trend as four of the six chose to race three off the running rail down the back straight, possibly looking for better ground.

The tempo remained leisurely with seven lengths covering the field. Hugo Besnier placed the daughter of Lope de Vega well turning for home, being in fourth, two off the rail. The pack were slightly more clustered at this point with all runners in with a chance.

From the top of the straight the strongly supported favourite looked the one to beat with Christophe Soumillon on Secret Sky travelling powerfully. However, that only lasted for a few strides as the André Fabre trained winner showed a good turn of foot and kicked clear sweeping past the favourite and racing away impressively over the final 300m. She was eased and ran out a three and half-length winner. The runner up, Secret Sky, in turn was well clear of the remainder of the field.

Manisha is a three-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega and has shown plenty of improvement this season following two unplaced runs at the end of a maiden campaign. After a winter break, she was stepped up in distance and delivered a close second on seasonal reappearance last month, also at Chantilly over 2000m followed by this first career victory. She is unexposed and open to further progress especially if upped in trip again. Could Manisha be a stayer in the making?