South African Mare Rock Opera Produces French Group One Winner
SAF Mare Produces French Group 1 winner
Saeed Bin Suroor trained-Royal Meeting ran powerfully to edge out Hermosa in the hands of Christophe Soumillon.
The success in the Gr.1 Criterium International at Chantilly on Sunday followed three weeks after the Bin Suroor-trained Royal Marine's Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere victory at Longchamp and, remarkably, the pair are now the owners of two Group 1 successes from just five career starts between them.
Godolphin managing director Hugh Anderson said: "I’ve just talked to Saeed, who's in Los Angeles transiting from Australia to Louisville, and he's thrilled to bits.
Royal Meeting is out of South African Rock Opera who won the 2005 Allan Robertson at Scottsville, a Gr.1 juvenile event. She also produced Heavy Metal by Exceed And Excel, who won 15 races in total.
Rock Opera was trained by Corne Spies in South Africa.
Credit: Ritesh Jamkhedkar ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com