By winning the Prix Jean Prat (Gr1) at Chantilly on Monday, Charm Spirit lived up to his connections’ expectations and belief that he is a Group 1 horse. HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani’s three-year-old colt carried Umm Qarn colours to Group 1 victory, for the first time, in a thoroughbred race on his third attempt at this level. As a two-year-old, Charm Spirit finished third in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr1). Following his success in the Prix Djebel (Gr3) this year, Freddy Head chose to run him in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr1) at Newmarket where he finished fifth, three parts of a length behind Shifting Power who he came up against again on Monday.
After an easy success in the Prix Paul de Moussac (Gr3), Charm Spirit lined up in the last race of the year over a mile reserved for three-year-olds. This time Olivier Peslier chose to sit in behind La Hoguette, while Yuften and Shifting Power set the pace. At the 200 metre mark, La Hoguette, who Grégory Benoist had yet to ask for an effort, made her move up the rail, but Yuften hung right and stopped Gérard Augustin-Normand’s filly in her stride. In a smart move, Charm Spirit avoided trouble on the outside and accelerated easily to beat Yuften.
Winning trainer Freddy Head explained: “I was a little worried early on as it was not the plan to hold him up, but Olivier Peslier thought they were going too fast in front and he made the right choice. He had an excellent run and his turn of foot kept him out of trouble. I have always thought he was a Group 1 horse. He did not disappoint us against a tough field in the Guineas, but he did not travel well to Newmarket. The plan is to run him in the Prix Jacques le Marois in Deauville.”