Giofra lands Falmouth There was a French trained winner of the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes but not from the filly many expected to take the spoils. Alain de Royer-Dupre's rapidly progressive filly Giofra claimed a hard-fought success in the Group One contest from Elusive Kate but it was not the result that most pundits had expected. Andre Fabre had hailed Golden Lilac as the best filly that he had ever trained and she was duly sent off an odds-on favourite for the mile showpiece despite her trainer expressing doubts about the soft ground. Golden Lilac settled well in midfield behind a steady pace but never looked like picking up and eventually trailed home well beaten leaving Fabre to mull over another disappointing trip to Newmarket following Meandre's defeat earlier in the campaign. There was a French connection with the placed horses too, as Elusive Kate had done most of her racing in France last season despite being based in John Gosden's Newmarket yard, while Siyouma is also trained in France by Francois Doumen. Elusive Kate, a Group One winner as a juvenile, ran a huge race under Frankie Dettori on her first run of the season but was reeled in close home by Christophe Soumillon's mount who had won three in a row before being brushed aside by the top-class Cirrus Des Aigles last time. The pair were separated by half a length at the line with Siyouma a further three parts of a length back in third. They pulled a long way clear of Irish History and Maybe who again failed to live up to expectations. Soumillon said: "The pace wasn't that quick, I wouldn't say I wasn't happy but a quicker pace would have been better as she was a bit keen. "When I asked her to go at the two-furlong marker she was going very well and I knew I just had Frankie to beat." Royer-Dupre said: "I thought she was a seriously good filly. I've known that for a long time, but she had a slight problem earlier in the year. "It was a risk to run at a mile, because I feel she can continue over 10 furlongs. "The Nassau Stakes at Goodwood is a possibility." Royer-Dupre also suggested it was not out of the question his filly could step up to a mile and a half for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October. He said: "If the ground is soft later in the year she could go for the Prix de l'Opera but there is a chance she could go for the Arc if she stays 12 furlongs." Fabre said of Golden Lilac: "Probably, she didn't settle. She ran too free." Of the Irish runners, Aidan O'Brien's Maybe finished fifth under Ryan Moore while John Oxx's Alanza came home seventh.
