WALDGEIST SHOWS HIS CLASS IN PRIX GANAY,Gr.1

Waldgeist, owned by Gestut Ammerland and Newsells Park Stud, may have ended last season with two defeats at the hands of Enable and another in Hong Kong, but he started his 2019 campaign in terrific style with a runaway victory in the Prix Ganay, the first Gr.1 of the European season.

Settled in third of five as the hot favourite Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) made the running at a fair pace which quickened entering the home straight, he found instant acceleration when asked by Pierre-Charles Boudot and quickly put the race to bed. At the front by the 200m marker, he sprinted clear and won by four and a half lengths, while Study Of Man (Deep Impact), winless since his victory in the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club, battled past Ghaiyyath to grab second.

The Andre Fabre-trained five-year-old now has seven wins on his cv, also including the Gr.1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud at two and last year’s Gr.1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He has travelled abroad before, to Britain and Germany, as well as the US and Hong Kong, and holds an entry in June’s Gr.1 Coronation Cup.

The son of Galileo was bred by the Waldlerche Partnership, named after his dam, a Gr.3-winning daughter of Monsun and also the dam of last summer’s Gr.2 Prix de Malleret winner Waldlied (New Approach).