Saturday’s $300,000 Group II Quayclean Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown may have been an afterthought for Southern France (IRE) after failing in the Melbourne Cup but the highly regarded son of Galileo gave fans a taste of his undoubted ability.
After finishing 19th in the Melbourne Cup in his first Australian start, trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace entered Southern France (IRE) for Saturday's Zipping (2400m) after nominations were extended on Monday.
With Mark Zahra in the saddle, Southern France came with a barnstorming finish to defeat Miss Siska (So You Think) by one and three-quarter lengths with Chapada (Bullet Train) a nose away in third.
Maher said the 5yo entire had come out of the Melbourne Cup in great shape.
"I wanted to give him a gallop just to see how he was before we accepted and he worked really well on Wednesday," Maher told AAP.
"That gave me the confidence to give him the nod.
"His run was a shade disappointing, and he didn't get a lot of luck, in the Melbourne Cup but he's made up for it now and it was a good win today.
"There's a couple of plans I mapped out the other day.
"He could head straight back and maybe go to Dubai or he may stay here and head towards the Australian Cup into a Tancred Stakes."
When trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, Southern France won the Group III Irish St Leger Trial and a Listed race at Leopardstown and was placed in the Group 1 The St Leger and Group 1 Irish St Leger and was runner-up in both the Group II Royal Ascot Queen's Vase and Group II Yorkshire Cup.
He is the best of three winner’s out of the unraced Anabaa mare Alta Anna who is a half-sister to Group III Longchamp Prix Penelope winner and Group 1 Prix de Diane runner-up Abbatiale (Kaldoun) the dam of the multiple Group III winner Bewitched (Dansili).
