Friendly Soul makes convincing bid in Prix Vermeille
John and Thady Gosden’s veteran mare Friendly Soul took the Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp in authoritative fashion, leading from the outset to notch a second Group One success.
Return to the front after an interrupted campaign
The five-year-old, a previous Group One winner in the Prix de l’Opéra, missed last season through injury but has been brought back gradually this year. Her late-season prep included a strong effort at Goodwood, where she finished runner-up to Diamond Necklace in the Nassau Stakes.
On Sunday she was partnered by James Doyle, who positioned her prominently from the off. The pair established clear control turning for home and were able to fend off late advances from several closers to secure the victory.
Race dynamics and main challengers
- Friendly Soul and Composing broke well and built a leading advantage into the straight.
- Pink Panthera and Sunly both produced late challenges; Sunly overcame a troubled passage after missing the break but could not quite overhaul the leader.
- The Gosdens’ filly appeared to cope with the step up to a mile and a half on her first attempt at the trip.
Connections and next steps
Thady Gosden reflected on his owner-breeders’ decision to keep the mare in training at five, praising her talent and toughness. He noted that Sunday’s contest represented Friendly Soul’s first run over 1m 4f and that the team would assess how she comes out of the race before confirming future targets.
Friendly Soul is currently quoted at 16-1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with bookmakers, leaving the Arc as a potential, though not yet confirmed, option for the remainder of the season.
Relevance to Goodwood racegoers
Friendly Soul’s Prix Vermeille success will be of particular interest to followers of Goodwood form, having used a Goodwood Group One as an intermediate test this summer. Her performance underlined the quality of the Nassau Stakes line and highlighted how performances at Goodwood can translate to further Group-level success on the continent.
For festivalgoers and owners considering international targets, Friendly Soul’s return to peak form after a lengthy layoff serves as a reminder of the potential longevity of mares campaigned at the highest level and the value of patient placement and careful preparation.
With connections set to assess her recovery from Sunday’s race, the programme for the autumn remains open; any confirmation that she will be aimed at one of Europe’s remaining top events will be followed closely by British racegoers and the festival calendar.
This article may have been prepared in whole or in part with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
