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Manasarova pictured with Ribal in 2020. Photo – Equuis Images

Manasarova joined our growing group of black-type producers on Sunday thanks to a highly impressive performance from her daughter Sicilian Defense in the Listed Prix Amandine at Deauville.

Successful at Compeigne last season, Sicilian Defense went close to winning the Listed Prix Montenica at Chantilly for Yann Barberot in March before a sneakily good seventh behind Mangoustine (out of Blue Diamond’s Zotilla) in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, achieved despite meeting trouble in running.

Sicilian Defense was impressive on Sunday, cruising up behind the leader before quickening past under Gregory Benoist for a decisive score.

Sicilian Defense: the easy winner of the Prix Amandine

“I tried to take her over 1,600 metres in the Pouliches,” Yann Barberot told Jour De Galop. “But it’s not her distance… She is a filly of 1,400m.

“Now she’s a black type winner and the Prix Amandine is a great race, so I’m not disappointed that I didn’t take her to Goodwood [for the Oak Tree Stakes]. There will still be great things for her to do, especially at the end of the year in the United States.”

Co-owner Benjamin Teboul added: “Today, she shows us that she is very tough and very consistent. What she does without the whip… She is extremely good.

“If ever Sicilian Defense is in good enough shape and we can go to the Breeders’ Cup, we will. If all the parameters are in place, she could do well because she likes good terrain, she has good pace, she is more and more manageable with age and has a formidable burst of speed. Today, she beat very good horses very well. It is certainly one of the races where she is able to express herself the most.”

The daughter of Muhaarar was bred by Haras de Saint Pair out of Manasarova, who joined Blue Diamond when purchased at the 2019 Arqana December Sale; remarkably, she was bought on the same day as Zotilla, who has come to the fore this year as the dam of Mangoustine.

Manasarova showed smart form in a brief career for Fabrice Chappet, winning at Deauville as a two-year-old and running a narrow second in the Listed Prix Ronde de Nuit at three. By More Than Ready, she is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Manaahil and from the further family of Shadwell’s top American turf runner Shaakis.

Sicilian Defense is her second foal and followed by a Roaring Lion colt named Ribal in training with Andrew Balding. She also has a yearling filly by Zoustar and a filly foal by Kitten’s Joy.

In addition to Manasarova and Zotilla, the Blue Diamond paddocks are also home to Princess Loulou, dam of Nashwa, to complement the older proven producers such as Pearling, dam of Decorated Knight, and Nouriya, dam of Aljazzi and Majestic Noor.