Senorita Bonita was a bolt of lightning to capture the Prix Morny at Deauville
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The daughter of Starspangledbanner displayed her formidable acceleration once again to dominate the colts; the filly conditioned by Simon and Ed Crisford left Carry The Flag in her wake and will now target the Cheveley Park Stakes(G1), where she could line up against Libertango once again
DEAUVILLE, France (Special for Turf Diario).— Senorita Bonita confirmed her standing as one of Europe's most exciting 2-year-old fillies with a high-impact performance in the Sumbe Prix Morny (G1-1,200m). Racing from off the pace with plenty of ground to make up, the Victorious Racing representative unleashed a formidable stretch rally to capture one of the French season's premier juvenile contests.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner, who fetched the top price of 900,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale in April, arrived at Deauville following a victory in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket. That form line gained even further credit earlier in the week when Libertango (No Nay Never) captured the Lowther Stakes (G2) at York.
This time, Oisin Murphy opted to bide his time aboard Senorita Bonita, who also broke a bit sluggishly from the gates. As Aidan O’Brien's Carry The Flag (No Nay Never) set a demanding tempo up front, the favorite sat near the rear, appearing to face a daunting task as the field reached the crucial stages.
It was only a fleeting impression.
The moment Oisin Murphy asked for her turn of foot, Senorita Bonita changed gears remarkably. In just a few bounds, she erased Carry The Flag's lead, drew alongside him, and surged past with supreme authority.
"She showed a great burst of acceleration. They set very strong early fractions, but she finished really well and kept galloping strongly past the post," highlighted Simon Crisford.
The trainer admitted there was a point where the scenario looked tricky: "She came out a bit slow and was somewhat detached early, but they were going very fast and the race ended up favoring those coming from off the pace. At the halfway mark, I thought for a moment we had a mountain to climb, but she possesses such a electric change of pace that, in the final 200 meters, you could already tell she was going to finish extraordinarily strong."
For Simon and Ed Crisford, it marked their second victory in the Prix Morny, following their 2023 success with Vandeek (Havana Grey). Furthermore, fillies once again asserted their dominance in the race, twelve months after Venetian Sun (Starman) scored.
The immediate future for Senorita Bonita is already locked in. Her next major target will be the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1), set for late September at Newmarket.
"All roads lead there now. It was a fantastic performance. This was a very, very strong edition, and her effort was truly impressive," Simon Crisford added.
Newmarket could host a compelling rematch against Libertango, whom Senorita Bonita previously defeated in the Duchess of Cambridge before her recent brilliant display at York. Also looming among potential rivals is Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation), another recent winner at the Ebor Festival.
Purchased for a star-level price tag, Senorita Bonita is beginning to run every bit like one. At Deauville, she found herself well back early, but the moment she shifted into top gear, the Prix Morny was over in a matter of strides.
