Mo Celita aims to cap a remarkable season on a high in the Prix de Seine-Et-Oise at Chantilly on Tuesday.
The three-year-old filly has gone from failing to attract a bid after winning a Leicester seller in April to finishing fourth in the most prestigious sprint race in Europe, the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp, earlier this month.
She has won six times with her biggest triumph to date coming in a Listed race at Deauville in August. Victory in this Group Three heat over six furlongs would better that.
Trainer Adrian Nicholls has been delighted the way Mo Celita has taken the Abbaye and is looking forward to running her across the Channel again.
“She’s come out of the Abbaye good. I’m really pleased with her. She still looks a million dollars. It will be her last run of the season and we’re hoping for a big run,” said the North Yorkshire trainer.
“We’ve got a bit of form with a few of them. Air De Valse (Abbaye second) holds the key to the race. Longchamp is a lot more draw bias than Chantilly. Air De Valse had a good draw in the Abbaye, we didn’t have the best of draws, but she still ran well. She was behind us before that. We tie in with the right ones.”
Mo Celita again has a wide draw I stall 14, but Nicholls believes it may not be as disadvantageous.
“We’re drawn on the outside. If I had been picky I’d have chosen to be in stall one on the rail but it is what it is. She’s got one of the best pace riders in the world in Hollie (Doyle). I don’t think the draw will be the winning or the losing of it,” he said.
“She’s going there in great order. She was unlucky not to get Group One-placed the other day. If she could finish in the first three, we’d all be over the moon.
“She looks like a filly who is going to grow again. She’s physically got better all year and a winter on her back will crown her.
“She’s been a breath of fresh air in our small yard. To have a horse to run in big races is what everyone wants.”
There are two other British raiders in Tom Dascombe’s, Brad The Brief, who won this race 12 months ago, and the Richard Fahey-trained Ventura Diamond.
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