GOLIATH Back in the Groove at ParisLongchamp
By Tom Frary
Returning to domestic duty after his Far Eastern ventures, last year's King George Hero Goliath (Adlerflug) cruised to a welcome facile win in Sunday's G3 La Coupe at ParisLongchamp. Sauntering to the front from the outset under Christophe Soumillon, the 9-10 favourite only had to stretch inside the last two furlongs to dispatch the filly Grand Stars (Sea The Stars) by 1 3/4 lengths.
“We decided not to fight with him and let him be comfortable and when he's like that he's very good,” trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said of Resolute Bloodstock and Philip Baron Von Ullmann's flagbearer, who had run a rare tame race in the G1 QEII Cup in April. “He can quicken off any pace, he just needs to be relaxed as he is a horse that can be very tense. That's why he ran so poorly at Sha Tin, so I'm very happy and we can re-start with him. This race will do him good and I have to discuss with the entourage, but we will target the big races again.”
Pedigree Notes
Goliath's Listed-winning dam Gouache (Shamardal) is a granddaughter of Monsun's G1 Oaks d'Italia heroine Guadalupe which links the winner to some solid German Group-race performers like Guardini (Dalakhani), Guignol (Cape Cross) and Guiliani (Tertullian). Gouache's 2-year-old filly by Magna Grecia is named Grande Merci, while she also has a yearling filly by Blackbeard.