Volkan Star, blue cap© Photo Healy Racing
Charlie Appleby and William Buick were back in France on Tuesday to win the Prix du Lys with the progressive Volkan Star at ParisLongchamp.
The duo enjoyed a treble at Deauville on Sunday, highlighted by Pinatubo in the Prix Jean Prat, and improved their strike-rate on their cross-Channel raids.
Volkan Star held obvious claims in the Group Three affair on paper, having finished second to subsequent French Derby winner Mishriff and beaten Mark Johnston’s Dante hero Thunderous in his two starts to date this year.
Buick set a steady tempo before winding up the pace in the false straight, stealing an advantage he was never to relinquish, despite Ketil closing to within three-quarters of a length.
“I’m pleased. We were coming here with some confidence with the form lines back home, so we were hopeful because of that form and also that stepping up in trip might bring out more improvement,” Appleby told Sky Sports Racing.
“He’s growing up all the time. I’m delighted I brought him over here because he’s a horse that we gelded for a reason, he didn’t have his mind on the job but since being gelded he’s turned inside out.
“I was keen to bring him here to educate him for further down the line.
“It was the plan to make it and he found a bit more when they came to him. We haven’t set our sights on anything more just yet. William says to keep to a mile and a half for now so maybe we can set our sights a bit higher.”
David Simcock’s Oriental Mystique almost stole the Prix de Malleret under a clever ride from Mickael Barzalona but was caught late on by Vaucelles.
Frankie Dettori set out to make all on Ralph Beckett’s Trefoil, but Barzalona made a bold move three furlongs out and caught the others napping.
For a few strides it looked like Barzalona may have nicked it, only for Pascal Bary’s filly to quicken up smartly for Christophe Soumillon and win cosily in the end.
Bary said: “She’s a very nice filly, she ran very well in the Prix Saint-Alary but she only started six weeks ago so I think she’ll improve again.
“She’s a tall filly and needs time to fill out. I think she’ll be very good in September and October.
“She’s in the Arc, but first she will go for the Prix Vermeille. I was pleased with her turn of foot.”
