Paulele overpowers strong field in brilliant Listed win

The promise of greater things to come was delivered by Paulele, who kicked off his three-year-old season with a dominant win in the Listed The Rosebud at Randwick on Saturday.

A highly-rated member of an elite band of Godolphin juveniles last season, Paulele handled topweight and some well-credentialled opposition with consummate ease, sprinting clear over the final 100m.

“He’s a lovely colt who’s blessed with a wonderful turn-of-foot,” said trainer James Cummings.

“And he’s going to be even better suited in the San Domenico Stakes in a few weeks.”

Paulele raced kindly in midfield until the 400m where his jockey James McDonald allowed him to slide forward. The colt then produced a finishing burst that gave nothing else a chance, scoring by 2-1/2 lengths from In The Congo and Remarque. The G3 San Domenico Stakes is run at Rosehill on Aug.28.

Meanwhile, Wild Beauty took another step forward in her fledgling career with a staying-on second in the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket, UK, on Saturday.

The Charlie Appleby-trained filly, who filled the same spot in a Sandown Park Listed race on her previous start, was prominent throughout and soon disputed a close third behind Value Theory and Renaissance.

Wild Beauty moved up to briefly press for the lead under William Buick over a furlong from home and galloped out well in the closing stages, going down by a length to Majestic Glory.

Appleby said: “We were pleased with Wild Beauty, who saw out the seven furlongs well. She has been a very consistent filly so far and we will look at stepping her up to a mile now, with the G3 Prix d’Aumale in France a potential target.”

Elsewhere, Star Safari aims to build on a promising European return as he bids for a second G3 victory in the Prix de Reux over an extended mile and a half at Deauville, France, on Sunday.

The Appleby-trained five-year-old battled gamely to take third, beaten less than three lengths in total, in the 12-furlong G2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on July 8.

Star Safari (Frankie Dettori) started his year in fine form at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, winning a turf handicap and the 10-furlong G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes, and was a creditable sixth in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup Night.

Charlie Appleby said: “We were very pleased with Star Safari’s return from a break at Newmarket following some good efforts out in Dubai.

“He has to carry a penalty, which makes it slightly difficult with a horse like Mogul in the field, but he should be competitive.”

On the same card, Urgent Appeal (Mickael Barzalona) makes his first appearance at Deauville in the six-furlong Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud following six consecutive starts at Chantilly.

After comfortably winning the Listed Prix Montenica on the all-weather in March, the Andre Fabre-trained colt has finished fifth in two subsequent turf appearances over six furlongs, most recently in the Listed Prix Marchand d’Or in June. Three-year-old filly Creative Flair looks to transfer some strong European form to North America when she lines up in the G3 Saratoga Oaks over nine and a half furlongs at Saratoga on Sunday.

The daughter of Dubawi filled the runner-up spot in a deep renewal of the mile Listed Michael Seely Memorial at York in May, with third home Snow Lantern going on to G1 glory in the Falmouth Stakes.

Creative Flair graduated to Listed success on her next start in June as she made all to score by half a length in the Abingdon Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Newbury.

The Charlie Appleby-trained homebred, who will be ridden by Mike Smith, was caught in the final strides when coming home a close third on her latest outing in the nine-furlong G3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly, France, on  July 18.

Appleby said: “Creative Flair has been a very competitive filly in Europe this year and I think conditions at Saratoga are there to suit her.

“She was just touched off last time at Chantilly but it was still a very good effort. If she can reproduce that performance, it should make her a live contender.”