More Than Ready colt Nucifera handled the step up to stakes company in style when running out an impressive winner of the Prix Francois Boutin L (1400m) at Deauville on Sunday.
The unbeaten Niarchos Family homebred is the 130th stakes winner for Vinery champion More Than Ready. WATCH THE 2014 BOUTIN HERE
Nucifera (USA) enjoyed a clear run down the straight course and picked up in taking fashion to defeat odds-on favourite Tupi. “He’s all class,” winning jockey Christophe Lemaire said after returning to scale.
The win was a satisfying result for the colt’s connections. Francois Boutin trained champions the calibre of Nureyev, Miesque, Hector Protector and Kingmambo for the Niarchos Family. “This is an emotional moment,” racing manager Alan Cooper explained. “We’ve been trying to win the Boutin for many years.”
Nucifera (2c More Than Ready – Lotus Sutra by Kingmambo) completed a hat-trick at Deauville after earlier victories at Chantilly and Compiegne and will likely start next in the G3 Prix La Rochette (1400m) at Longchamp on September 7. He also holds Newmarket entries for the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes on September 27 and G1 Dewhurst Stakes on October 17.
Nucifera is the first foal from an unraced half-sister to G1 Irish National Stakes winner Pathfork (Distorted Humor). His second-dam Visions Of Clarity (Sadler’s Wells) is a half-sister to Spinning World who was a multiple Group 1 winner for the Niarchos Family before shuttling to Coolmore Australia.
More Than Ready arrived back at Vinery last week and he will stand for a $66,000 (inc gst) fee this year.
