The Group I Prix Jean Romanet (2000m) at Deauville was chosen as the starting off point for Australian Horse of the Year Verry Elleegant in her first campaign for new trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, ,but there was no fairytale result.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Verry Elleegant settled at the tail of the field and stayed there finishing last of seven with the win taken by Starspangledbanner mare Aristia
Trained by Richard Hannon, Aristia was a last start second to Nashwa in the Group I Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and has won three of nine starts.
“Aristia is a very good filly. These days are very hard to achieve, coming to these Group 1s and winning is nearly impossible and I'm delighted for her. She's now put two or three good runs together, she didn't come into her coat until very late on in the season and this is why she's coming good now,” said Richard Hannon.
“Where we go from here? There's a race on Champions Day, there's one on Arc day but we're delighted to have this today, it's amazing.”
Bought for 85,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 by Will Edmeades Bloodstock, Aristia is a half-sister to stakes-winner Glorious Sinndar and is the best of seven winners from Aloisi, a half-sister to the dam of Group I winner Dominant, Group II winners Es Que Love and Listen In, plus stakes-winner Zhui Feng.
Aristia is the fourth Group I winner for Australian bred Starspangledbanner, the champion son Choisir, who stood for 35,000 euros this year at Coolmore Ireland, but is not shuttling to Australia this spring.
In recent years he has been a regular visitor to Rosemont stud in Victoria and covered 70 mares last spring.
