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In
a year that has seen the 2012 London Olympics, well named Choisir colt Olympic
Glory was always destined to win a big race and it came at Longchamp in France
overnight where the two year-old captured the Group I Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Having his first start since being purchased by Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al
Thani, the Richard Hannon-trained colt ploughed through the heavy conditions to
win the 1400 metre sprint by a length and a quarter with Richard Hughes in the
sadddle.
A model of consistency, Olympic Glory has started five times this year for four
wins and a second, his lone defeat at the hands of subsequent Group I winner Dawn
Approach in the Group II Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
"It was a good performance in deep ground, to quicken past them on ground
like that was hard work and he did it well," said his trainer Richard
Hannon.
Olympic Glory has been cut to 16-1 (from 20) by
Paddy Power and Ladbrokes after scoring
his first Group I win, although
he is a general 12-1 shot to win next year's Qipco English 2,000
Guineas.
"We are lucky, we have a few colts that
could be Guineas standard, so it'd be nice to spread them around and with track
experience an advantage, we could take Olympic
Glory to the French Guineas," Hannon said.
Olympic Glory was bred by Denis McDonnell and is a £65,000 graduate of
Doncaster's Premier Yearling Sale.
He is the fourth Group I winner for Choisir (pictured) and is one of four winners from the Alzao mare
Acidanthera , a grand-daughter of Group II winner Amaranda.
Choisir has had a huge weekend with a brilliant Group II winner in the US in
Obviously and a close Group I second in Australia with Proisir, the son of
Danehill Dancer (IRE) standing this spring at Coolmore at a fee of $27,500.
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