Shareta takes Vermeille as Highway disappoints Shareta produced an impressive performance to claim the Group One Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. The winner of the Yorkshire Oaks on her preceding start, Shareta recorded a comfortable victory to make it back-to-back top level successes as she provided her trainer, Alain de Royer-Dupre, with a seventh win of this prestigious contest. Always to the fore behind pacemaker Sydarra, the daughter of Sinndar took several lengths out of the field when asked to quicken by Christophe Lemaire and never looked in any danger of being caught. Pirika and Solemia filled the places with Galikova, last year's winner, back in fifth having been trapped on the rails as the field turned for home. In contrast the Dermot Weld trained Princess Highway raced wide throughout but failed to pick up as connections would have hoped and the impressive Ribblesdale winner could only stay on at the one pace. Many had viewed Shareta as a pacemaker for Sarafina when she was second to Danedream in the Arc 12 months ago but her trainer has been quick to dispel that view subsequently, citing her lack of a change of pace and need to be ridden prominently. There was no problem with her ability to quicken on this occasion and she could now attempt to go one place better next month, providing that conditions are suitable. The Aga Khan said of his two-length winner: "I was very happy with that, she's a much more mature filly than she was last year. "We always thought she was good but now she has learned to accelerate. We learned a lot from the run at York which is a very demanding track. "She'll go for the Arc again. "The only reason I can see she wouldn't run is if it was very heavy. She handles softish ground but not deep, holding ground." She was halved in price by Sky Bet to 10-1 from 20s for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
