PEARLS WINS HER LISTED
The Haras de Saint Pair’s Pearls or Passion won her first stakes race in Toulouse on October 11. The four year old daughter of Monsun and the Group 1 winner Pearly Shels had been stakes placed at three and was fourth in a Group 3 in Baden Baden on her previous start. However, with the help of a pacemaker in Encore Merci the Francois Rohaut trained filly returned to her very best to record a convincing win in the 2400 metres Listed Prix Panacee.
Encore Merci made the running up to the top of the home straight when Pearls or Passion, who had followed her stable companion throughout, took over and quickly quickened clear of her rivals. At the post Pearls or Passion was a comfortable length and 1/2 length in front of Oriental Wind and the English trained Aquilla.
The first six foals of the Prix Vermeille winner Pearly Shells are winners and they include the Group winner Pearl Banks, also a mare at Saint Pair, the stakes winner Pearls or Passion, the very promising three year old filly Pearly Avenue, as well as the nine year old Sadler’s Wells mare Proaganda whose Invincible Spirit yearling was sold for 280.000 euros at Goffs in October 2013. Pearly Shells has an unraced two year old Oasis Dream colt Palmetto, a colt foal by Dubawi and is currently in foal to Holy Roman Emperor.