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Chantilly – 9th March 2021.
Race 5 – Listed Prix Maurice Caillault (AW) – 1800m
Fort Payne (Thomas Trullier/ Nicolas Caullery)
The feature race of the afternoon at Chantilly went the way of an impressive winner, Fort Payne, winning Black Type for the first time. The three-year-old son of Rio de la Plata broke well from the starting stalls but was restrained under jockey Thomas Trullier. There was no pace in the opening strides with Wildwood forced to adopt the pace setting role.
The eventual winner was settled in last position approximately six lengths behind the leader as the field continued their journey around the long sweeping bend into the home straight. With 500m to travel there was little change in the order, but the Nicolas Caullery trained colt caught the eye as he switched to the outside and began to run on.
It was at the 400m marker where Fort Payne was asked to quicken and accelerate. His response was impressive - in a couple of strides he went from last to first position and swept past the field on the outside. The colt powered clear to win the Listed prize by a comfortable five lengths and looked to be a class above the rest of the field.
Fort Payne is a lightly raced three-year-old who is open to further progress as the season continues.
The Alain Jathiere and Mme Philippe Demercastel owned colt made a winning debut last December at Deauville on the all-weather over 1900m before two good runner-up efforts at Cagnes-sur-Mer. One of those efforts came in a class two 2000m conditions event and the other on the same fibre sand surface when a promising second in the Listed Prix de la Californie (1600m) a month ago.
This was a sixth stakes level success for sire, Rio de la Plata. Fort Payne is one of three winners out of Lady Verde (Meshaheer). He is closely related to dual Group One winner and successful sire Kendor and Group two-winning pair Hightori and Vatori. Rio de la Plata now stands at Ljungstorps Stud in Sweden.