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Simon and Ed Crisford enjoyed a fruitful trip to France as West Wind Blows (9/10 F) added another Group 3 Longchamp success to his CV in the La Coupe – Fondation Claude Pompidou this afternoon.
The Simon and Ed Crisford -trained four-year-old won the Group 3 Prix du Prince d'Orange over the same course and distance last season and returned to the track with a fair third in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket in May.
The drop back to ten furlongs and recent gelding operation certainly looked to do the trick as West Wind Blows was spotted travelling well entering the final two furlongs. A confident-looking Christophe Soumillon soon unleashed the son of Teofilo, and he readily asserted for a comfortable one-and-three-quarter-length victory. Hooking kept on well from the rear of the field to grab second with Pleasant Jane back in third.
Amy Murphy's Pride Of America cut out much of the early running but faded in the closing stages and finished well beaten back in seventh.
Breizh Sky breezes to victory
The other Group 3 on the card, the Prix Paul de Moussac, stayed on home soil with the Alessandro & Giuseppe Botti-trained Breizh Sky (5/1) landing the spoils.
The unexposed three-year-old arrived fresh off the back of an excellent third in the French 2000 Guineas and seemingly relished dropping back to 7f with a commanding all-the-way success. He showed a tendency to race keenly throughout but found plenty of pressure once asked and drew nicely clear under Maxime Guyon for a one-and-a-quarter-length victory.
Fabrice Chappet's Good Guess ran on well to finish runner-up but never looked likely to bridge the gap while Cawdor finished back in third.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Valimi was sent off at the head of the market but faded tamely having raced wide throughout and could only manage to beat one home.
Elsewhere on the card, there was further British success as Joseph O'Brien's filly, American Sonja, potentially booked her ticket to Royal Ascot with a smooth one-and-a-quarter-length win in the Listed Prix Volterra.
The daughter of Tasleet always looked in command on the front end and stretched nicely clear to make all under Christophe Soumillon.
Paddy Power cut American Sonja to 20/1 from 33/1 for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.