Racing returned to Longchamp on Thursday, 25 June and the Darley stallions dominated the day’s Group contests, with New Approach’s Telecaster landing the G3 La Coupe, shortly followed by victory for Space Blues in the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot.
Telecaster, who won last year’s Dante, was settled in third position under Christophe Soumillon during the early stages of the 10-furlong contest. Once asked to quicken at the two-furlong marker, Telecaster soon swept aside his rivals, cruising to the front and eventually winning by four lengths.
Telecaster was bred by Meon Valley Stud and is out of the G1-placed mare Shirocco Star, also dam of Dubawi's Group peformer Al Suhail.
New Approach is also sire this year of multiple Group winner and G1-placed Magic Lily, plus fellow Group winners Cascadian, Darlington Hall and Loxley.
Just over an hour later, Space Blues (Dubawi) added a well-deserved first Group win to his record and led home a 1-2 for his sire in the Prix de la Porte Maillot, finishing ahead of stablemate D’bai.
Space Blues raced in third under Mickael Barzalona early on, before being switched out with two furlongs left to run. The four-year-old colt soon took up the running and won readily, crossing the line a length and a quarter ahead of his paternal half-brother.
Space Blues was placed in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Prix Jean Prat last year and landed the Listed Spring Trophy on his last start. He will now be aimed at the G2 Lennox Stakes later this month.
Space Blues is out of the G2 winner Miss Lucifer (Noverre), also dam of multiple Group winner and Stakes producer Shuruq.
Dubawi has now sired 10 individual Group winners in 2020, headed by G1-winning duo Ghaiyyath (who broke the track record when landing the Coronation Cup) and Lord North, who landed last week’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Also on Thursday, Dubawi's outstanding son Night Of Thunder recorded his sixth Black Type winner of the year when his daughter Under The Stars landed the Eternal Fillies' Stakes at Haydock. This was her second Stakes win, having won the G3 Princess Margaret Stakes last July.
