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Rivals forced to observe Ramadan from a distance


Testing underfoot conditions contributed to the 1600m Listed Prix Omnium II, an early trial for the Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, attracting a disappointing three-runner field, but we still might have seen a very smart winner at Saint-Cloud yesterday in the shape of Christopher Head’s Ramadan.Aurelien Lemaitre took the son of Le Havre to the front in the early stages, though he was happy to take a trail from Rock The Kasbah (City Light) after 400m. The runners raced in Indian file until 450m from the finish, at which point Ramadan was pulled out to challenge. The Nurlan Bizakov-owned colt sauntered into the lead just under 300m from home and his rider sat virtually motionless as they cruised to an impressive five-length success from Grey Man (Wootton Bassett). Fourth on debut at the same track in September, Ramadanhad gone on to shed his maiden tag over 1600m at Chantilly and finish fourth in the 2000m Gr.1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud on his second and third starts as a two-year-old. He holds entries in both the 1600m Poule d’Essai des Poulains - in which he could bid to become the first horse to do the Omnium II/Poulains double since Silver Frost (Verglas) in 2009 - and the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club over 2100m. A product of his owner’s Sumbe breeding operation, the colt is a half-brother to the Listed Fleur de Lys Stakes winner and Gr.3-placed Rasima (Iffraaj), out of the winning Dalakhanimare Raushan. The mare is a full-sister to the Gr.1 Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Chinese White and the Gr.3-winning second dam Chiang Mai (Sadler’s Wells) is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Prix de Diane winner and celebrated broodmare Rafha (Kris; dam of the Gr.1 Sprint Cup winner and sire Invincible Spirit and the sire Kodiac, and ancestress of multiple Gr.1 winner and young sire Mishriff).

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