Khalid Abdullah’s Fount (GB) stepped up markedly to defeat recent rival Twist ‘N’ Shake (GB) in the August 16 G3 Arqana Prix de Lieurey at Deauville.
Prominent early as Twist ‘N’ Shake took up front-running duties, the 15-2 shot Fount never let the 6-4 favorite out of her sights and after joining her with two furlongs remaining gradually asserted for a half-length success, with the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Commes (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) closing to be a further neck away in third.
“She has been a progressive filly, but has taken time to come around,” Teddy Grimthorpe said of the daughter of the operation’s a-lister Ventura. “This was a pleasant surprise. Last time, it was a Kingman beating a Frankel and this time it’s the other way round. It’s very nice for the sire and the dam.”
Rockbridge Bloodstock bought into this fantastic Juddmonte Farm family at the 2016 Keeneland November by purchasing Fount’s Bernardini half-sister Venturini on behalf of Brushy Hill Enterprises. She was purchased carrying a Temple City colt, now named Kunal, who won his debut impressively earlier this summer.
Venturini’s second foal, a colt by on-fire sire Quality Road, will be offered by South Point Sales at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale as Hip #1883.
Two-for-two after mile races at Chantilly Apr. 24 and Saint Cloud May 13, Fount had run sixth in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary trying 10 furlongs at Paris Longchamp 13 days later prior to going down by 3 1/2 lengths to Twist “N’ Shake in Bagatelle over this track and mile trip July 21.
“She did well to win two races in the spring and we probably threw her into a group one race too quickly over a trip that was too far for her,” Grimthorpe added. “She had come on for her run three weeks ago and we’ll have to look at the program and go for something more serious now.”
Ventura needs no introduction as the heroine of the GI Woodbine Mile, GI Just a Game S., GI Santa Monica H. and GI Matriarch S. Interestingly, she did break her maiden by eight lengths on this type of slow ground for the Amanda Perrett stable at Folkestone in 2007 and Fount’s ability to handle testing conditions bodes well for her future.
With an unraced 2-year-old filly Epigram (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to come, Fount and Venturin hail from a dynasty replete with black-type and featuring the dual group 3-winning sire Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic) and dual G1 Australian Cup scorer Harlem (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}).
South Point Sales & Rockbridge Bloodstock 