Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches glory was cruelly denied to Kathmandu as Rouhiya went above and beyond to keep the Classic award at Paris Longchamp.
Maxime Guyon brought the winner, Francis-Henri Graffard, back to match the early pace set by Brian Meehan's Kathmandu. As the race progressed, the winner responded superbly to the call to win, threading the needle to make a move in the final metres.
Willie McCreery's Vespertilio finished in last place on the podium, while Sean Levey's Kathmandu was deeply disappointed to only receive a silver medal after leading from the start of the race.
Charlie Appleby's Romantic Style had advanced from a wide draw thanks to William Buick, and she also participated in the finish, placing fourth.
The Aga Khan-owned champion showed significant improvement from her April trip and track debut, making quick progress in her first race at the top level.
“Francis-Henri Graffard’s gut feeling last year was that she was a Poule filly. This week, we asked ourselves the question, should we run in the Poule d’Essai on Sunday? Or head to the Prix des Lilas at Chantilly on Saturday?” said Princess Zahra Aga Khan. “We reasoned in terms of the future, and in terms of the filly as a breeding prospect, so we opted for the Poule d’Essai. Maxime Guyon rode a superb race, as the filly was perfectly positioned, having harnessed her energies accordingly. Although half way up the straight a great deal of uncertainty had set in. For a breeder to produce a filly like her is extraordinary. It’s the reward of decades of work. Classic winners are so important for breeding, and especially so over a mile.”
Graffard added: “What an incredible race! We had a perfect run despite a bad draw. I had informed her jockey that she has a sharp turn of foot although her burst isn’t a lasting one. So he waited as long as possible before delivering his challenge. Rouhiya had made a lot of progress since her seasonal debut and she had been working very well. I had hesitated between the Poule d’Essai and the Prix des Lilas, but the Princess advised me to try our luck in the Poule d’Essai.”