MODERN GAMES gave Charlie Appleby a first victory in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp – and is the 5-2 favourite to lift the Prix du Jockey Club.
The winner of a controversial Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last November – William Buick’s mount was reinstated by the Del Mar vets after being scratched from the race – Modern Games pounced a furlong and a half out to beat outsider Texas by a length and a quarter.
“He was the class horse in the race on all two-year-old form and we’re very spoilt with the colts we have,” said the Godolphin trainer, who saddled Coroebus to capture the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas 16 days ago and bids to land the Irish version at the Curragh next Saturday with Newmarket runner-up Native Trail.
Chantilly on June 5 now beckons for Dubawi’s son and Buick added: “In the Jockey Club you need a lot of tactical pace and he ticks a lot of boxes for the race.”
Mangoustine denied Cachet a rare Newmarket-ParisLongchamp double in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
James Doyle again set out to make the running on George Boughey’s 1,000 Guineas heroine, who fought on tenaciously before going under by a head to the Mikel Delzangles-saddled winner and Gerald Mossé.
“It was a massive run,” said Boughey. “It hasn’t been done for 12 years to win a Guineas and come back two weeks later, and she was very close.”
