Alpinista puts on 'faultless' display to win Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
- Sean Fisher
- 3 July 2022
Sir Matt Prescott's Alpinista extended her winning run to six races on Sunday with a dominant display in Saint-Cloud.
After winning each of her five starts in 2021, including a hat-trick of Group One triumphs in Germany between August and November, Alpinista returned in 2022 with another win to extend her streak.
Sir Matt Prescott's prolific mare missed her intended comeback in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, so instead journeyed to France to make her return.
The daughter of Frankel was set off as an 8/1 shot, and jockey Luke Morris did superbly to keep pace and then storm into the lead down the straight.
🤩 What a performance from Alpinista! The five-year-old mare is back with Group One success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud for Luke Morris and Sir Mark Prescott... pic.twitter.com/gHpyp7hzkM
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 3, 2022
After showing incredible pace, Alpinista finished a length and a quarter ahead of runner-up Baratti.
Having picked up the victory, Alpinista will now prepare for the upcoming Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Owner Sir Matt Prescott confirmed that attention now turns towards the ParisLongchamp showpiece, and praised the "faultless" performance on Sunday.
"It was a faultless performance wasn't it really?" said Prescott.
"She wouldn't come in her coat in the spring and wasn't at a stage where she could run. She's just come right now and to be honest I thought the race might come 10 days too soon for her, but it's worked out very well.
Alpinista WINS the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud! đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/Bv1crVnztT
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) July 3, 2022
"The mother (Alwilda) was better at five and this filly won three Group Ones at four, so she's a bit ahead of the curve really. You would hope she could improve a tiny bit more."
He added: "We'd planned to start in the Coronation at Epsom and we couldn't go there, so this was the next stop.
"We'll see what Miss Rausing (owner-breeder) feels, but I would think one run before the Arc, probably, and conventionally you'd go for the Prix Vermeille - that would be the obvious race.
Following Sunday's event, Alpinista has been cut to 16/1 from 33/1 for the Arc.
