The Tony Mullins-trained Princess Zoe has landed a dramatic renewal of the Group One Qatar Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in Paris.
Under a perfect ride from apprentice jockey Joey Sheridan she reeled in Alkuin in the closing stages to win by half-a-length, having been six-lengths back with less than two furlongs left.
“I certainly didn’t think three months ago this as going to happen," Mullins admitted after the race. "But Joey Sheridan came down to work her last week and when she pulled up, I said we were going to win in France.
“She just kept improving so fast, even before the Listed race she won – I had been eyeing it because she was improving at such a rate I wasn’t able to keep up to her. As the season was closing, and she was improving so fast, I was just very confident.
“The owner Paddy Kehoe and his sister are huge Cheltenham fans and we had her pencilled in. Then she started improving so fast I said to Paddy ‘we’ll go to France and if she wins I’ll be recommending she doesn’t go jumping, not for the moment anyway.
“Our plan now is to go anywhere there is not firm ground. I don’t mind good ground. That may even be the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next year.
“This is just an unbelievable mare. I just can’t explain how I’m feeling now.”
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