Index to Stakes races, October 2007

Race report

Race video

SKYBET.COM CHEVELEY PARK S.-G1

£170,000, Newmarket, 10-5, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:11.55, gd.

1--NATAGORA (FR), 124, f, 2
Divine Light (Jpn)--Reinamixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr).
O-Stefan Friborg; B-Bertrand Gouin & Georges Duca; T-Pascal Bary; J-C P Lemaire; £102,601.
Lifetime Record: 7-5-2-0, £265,649.

2--Fleeting Spirit (Ire), 124, f, 2
Invincible Spirit (Ire)--Millennium Tale (Fr), by Distant Relative (Ire).
O-The Searchers; B-Mrs Bernadette Hayden; T-Jeremy Noseda; J-L Dettori; £38,887.

3--Festoso (Ire), 124, f, 2
Diesis (GB)--Garah (GB), by Ajdal (USA).
O-Prince A A Faisal; B-Nawara Stud Company Ltd; T-Harry Dunlop; J-E Ahern; £19,461.

Margins: NK, 4, 1, SHD, 3/4, 1/2, NK, HD, 1/2, NK, 1, 1 1/2, 2. Odds: 7-2, 7-2, 33-1.
Also Ran: 4th (£9,704): Perfect Polly (GB); 5th (£4,861): Missit (Ire); 6th (£2,439): Elletelle (Ire); 7th: Lady Aquitaine (USA); 8th: Visit (GB); 9th: Unilateral (Ire);
10th: Dubai Princess (Ire); 11th: Polar Circle (USA); 12th: Gone Fast (USA); 13th: Lady Avenger (Ire); 14th: Falcolnry (Ire).
14 ran.

Pedigree of NATAGORA, 2005

Second on her racecourse debut at Saint-Cloud on May 1, Natagora lost her maiden tag on her next start, beating the Robert Collet-trained Fleurina over an extended five furlongs at Chantilly later the same month.

The daughter of Divine Light made the step up to Listed level on her next outing, facing nine rivals in the Prix La Fleche at Longchamp in June. She showed fantastic speed in the five-furlong event, going on readily to prevail by four lengths.

Natagora started a warm order in the Group Three Prix du Bois at Maisons-Laffitte on July 1 and again showed her class, beating Wilki by three quarters of a length. Her progression continued at the same Paris track three weeks later, with another pillar-to-post victory against the colts in the Group Two Prix Robert Papin, when she prevailed by three quarters of a length.

Defeat on her next start in the Group One Darley Prix Morny at Deauville in mid-August did little to damage her growing reputation. Stepping up to six furlongs for the first time, she again made most of the running and battled on well when headed by Myboycharlie, eventually finishing two lengths behind the Tommy Stack-trained colt.

Victory at the highest level came at Newmarket on October 5, when she faced 13 rivals in the Group One skybet.com Cheveley Park Stakes. Always in front, jockey Christophe Lemaire asked his mount to quicken approaching the final furlong and the filly responded, fending off the challenge of Fleeting Spirit in the closing stages to win by a neck and become the first French winner of the race since Pas De Reponse scored in 1996.

Having given trainer Pascal Bary his first Newmarket victory after 25 years of trying, Natagora could return to the Suffolk track to contest the Stan James 1000 Guineas in May, 2008.