Simmering Eyes Prix Marcel Boussac and Breeders’ Cup Glory After Deauville Triumph

Ollie Sangster’s star juvenile filly, Simmering, is weighing up a return to France and a potential trip to the Breeders’ Cup as her connections plot the next steps in what has already been a highly successful season. The daughter of Too Darn Hot has emerged as one of the standout two-year-olds of the year, with impressive performances that have marked her as a rising star in the world of flat racing.

Simmering first made waves when finishing third on her debut at York, quickly following up with a strong second-place finish in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she was best of the rest behind the talented Fairy Godmother. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, securing back-to-back wins in Ascot’s Princess Margaret Stakes and the Group Two Prix du Calvados at Deauville.

Her latest victory at Deauville, which proved her ability to stay seven furlongs and handle soft ground, has opened up a range of exciting possibilities. Among the options being considered is a tilt at the prestigious Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp, a race that could serve as a springboard to an international campaign culminating in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Alison Begley, racing manager for owners Al Shaqab Racing, provided an update on the filly’s potential targets: “I spoke to Ollie on Friday morning and he said she’s come out of the Deauville race very well and he’s really happy with her, so we’ll sit down and make a plan for her. It’s under discussion where we go next. The Breeders’ Cup is probably the end-of-season target, so it’s really a question of whether we give her another run before that or keep her fresh for then.”

Ryan Moore, who rode Simmering to victory in the Princess Margaret Stakes, has already earmarked the Breeders’ Cup as an ideal end-of-year goal for the filly, given her adaptability and proven class on varying ground conditions. Her ability to handle softer going, showcased in Deauville, has broadened her options, making both the Prix Marcel Boussac and the Breeders’ Cup viable targets.

“The fact that she won on softer ground in Deauville has opened up a few options for her,” Begley continued. “The Prix Marcel Boussac is an option, as obviously that meeting is important to Sheikh Joaan with the Qatar sponsorship, so they’d probably be the two targets we’re looking at.”

As Sangster and the Al Shaqab Racing team deliberate on Simmering’s next move, the racing world will be watching closely. Whether she heads to ParisLongchamp or waits for her shot at American glory, Simmering has already proven herself a filly of exceptional promise, and her next steps could see her rise to even greater heights on the international stage.