Mangoustine slam dunks Listed rivals
French two-year-old filly Mangoustine gave the partnership of Qatar Racing and French-American former professional basketball player Tony Parker plenty to cheer on Thursday when maintaining her unbeaten record in the Listed Criterium de Lyon.
After her debut success at Deauville, Mangoustine lined up among the favourites for the Listed Criterium de Lyon over a mile at Lyon Parilly and did not let her supporters down again in the hands of Christophe Soumillon.
The Dark Angel filly travelled smoothly just behind the pace and was going best before asked her to win the race 1f out. She was chased home by the standard setter Toimy Son who had run in the Gr.1 Pri Morny on his previous start.
Mangoustine is trained by Frederic Rossi and owned in equal parts by Qatar Racing, Parker’s Infinity Nine Horses stable, Ecurie des Monceaux and Alexandre Giannotti.
Mangoustine carries the Infinity Nine silks which are white and black, the same colours as the San Antonion Spurs for whom Parker played between 2001-2018.
She was bred by Qatar Bloodstock, Monceaux and Lordship Stud. She’s out of Zamindar mare Zotilla who showed ability on her sole start as a 3-year-old in France. Unsurprisingly given her name, Zotilla is a half-sister to Flotilla who won the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
They are out of US Gr.3 winner Louvain who began her career in France. Louvain has also produced Stakes winners Big Five and Loubakhova, the latter herself dam of Stakes winners Crossfirehurricane and My Generation.
Mangoustine presumably now has the option of the Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend at Longchamp on October 3, while there’s also the Gr.3 Prix Reservoirs back at Deauville on October 19.
