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Shalaa, a son of Invincible Spirit trained by John Gosden, easily dispatched Gutaifan in the stretch and powered away on very soft ground in a fourth straight triumph.
Gutaifan, who won the Prix Robert Papin (Fr-II) last time in capping a three-race win streak, held on for second. The son of Dark Angel trained by Richard Hannon was five lengths to the good of third-place finisher Tourny in the compact field of five.
Shalaa, the 7-10 favorite, led or vied with Gutaifan to his outside before the latter got his head in front halfway through the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) race. He showed thrilling acceleration when asked by Frankie Dettori, who guided him to fore nearing the final furlong as Gutaifan gamely pursued.
"I didn't want to say before he had won a group I, but he is the best 2-year-old I have ridden," Dettori told Racing Post. "It was heavy ground, but his class got him through. He is better on good ground."
Shalaa finished in 1:13.31, earning a fourth win from five career starts. He came in off a pair of group II wins in Great Britain, taking the Qatar Richmond Stakes in July at Goodwood following the Arqana July Stakes July 9 at Newmarket.
Mogeely Stud bred Shalaa in Ireland from the War Chant mare Ghurra, who was third in the 2007 Wilshire Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park and is a half sister to English group I winner Hayil.
Shalaa was offered in Book 1 of the 2014 Tattersalls October yearling sale by Clairemont Stud's agency and bought by agent Charlie Gordon-Watson for 170,000 guineas (US$287,331). He was pinhooked as a weanling for 105,000 guineas ($170,289) at the 2013 Tattersalls December foal sale by Norris and Huntingdon when consigned by Castlefarm Stud, agent.
