Gezora has Nicolas Le Roch dreaming of spring while Charlie Johnston could have the last laugh on Sunday

Gezora gave trainer Nicolas Le Roch the second Group-race success of his career when storming clear of the Ralph Beckett-trained Sandtrap to land the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs in attritional conditions. 

Haras d'Etreham's homebred daughter of Almanzor was last seen finishing runner-up in the Prix de Conde to the Charlie Johnston-trained Lazy Griff, who is due to bid for Group 1 honours in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud on Sunday. 

"The major question mark was how she would handle very soft ground because she only works on sand tracks at home, and she only ever gets on the grass when she goes to the races," said Le Roch.

"She has shown herself to be a very good filly on good going and ground with a little ease in it, so it's great that she handled this so well. She just has a lot of quality and she thoroughly deserves a break now."

Trainer Nicolas Le Roch, flanked by Marc and Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham

A former show jumper, Le Roch was granted his trainer's licence in the summer of 2022 and won the 2023 Prix de Conde with another filly, Shiffrin.

"I didn't want to pitch her into the Criterium against the colts, which is what we did with Shiffrin last year, so we came back in trip by 200 metres to stay against her own sex. 

"I'll sit down and discuss her programme for the spring with Nicolas de Chambure. She has really strengthened up during the autumn and I'm delighted."

It was a frustrating day for a large Anglo-Irish raiding party, with the Adrian Keatley-trained Francisco's Piece faring best of the visitors in the Listed Criterium de Vitesse, finishing third to favourite Une Pointure, while the Listed Prix Vulcain went the way of Newlook for Carlos and Yann Lerner, half a length and a nose clear of Ecureuil Secret from the Richard Fahey yard. 

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