High-priced mare Place Du Carrousel out to boost value with Underwood Stakes win

A massive investment could become a sharp piece of business should imported mare Place Du Carrousel bring her overseas form to a spring campaign that starts in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.

Imported mare Place Du Carrousel is worth $6.6m but that value could shoot through the roof in a campaign that starts in Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes.

Yulong Investments paid €4,025,000 ($A6.6m) at a sale in France late last year before entrusting the mare to trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Place Du Carrousel has world class form, winning the Group 1 Prix De L’Opera (2000m) in October 2022, beating the subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf Fillies & Mares winner Tuesday.

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The mare also defeated multiple Group 1 winner Mqse De Sevigne while scoring at Group 2 and Group 3 level before arriving in Australia.

Place Du Carrousel finished a close second to Via Sistina at her local debut in Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill in March.

Sam Freedman said the Lope de Vega mare had since acclimatised further in the months since her last run when seventh the Pride Of Jenni in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

“She probably went through a stage where she was just getting used to different surfaces to train on and slightly firmer ground as a whole,” Freedman said.

“She just took a little bit of time to get used to that but now she seems fully acclimatised and her action’s great.”

Place Du Carrousel will resume in the same race in which stablemate Without A Fight embarked on his memorable spring last year.

Without A Fight finished sixth in last year’s Underwood Stakes before winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups at his next two starts.

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Freedman said Place Du Carrousel, a Group 2 winner over 2400m last year, could have a similar preparation depending on her performance and recovery from the Underwood Stakes.

“We’ll just see how she performs and what sort of blow she has after the race,” Freedman said.

“She’s heading towards the Caulfield Cup so it’s a necessary first-up run.

“We’ve got to see how she is after the race but she has to return in good order and tick all the boxes.

“Sometimes, with these European horses, less is more so you can space their runs a little bit and be sure they’re going to see it out strongly. “

Place Du Carrousel could follow the same program as last year’s Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

A promising trial at Cranbourne and a Mornington jumpout win has convinced bookmakers to rate Place Du Carrousel as a $4.60 chance in Underwood Stakes betting.

Freedman said the bookmakers were entitled to rate Place Du Carrousel highly in their markets.

“Her form is over a bit further but she’s a classy mare that has got form around some of the best so she’s entitled to be right in the market,” he said.

“She’s forward enough to see the trip out really strongly and put herself in the frame.

“When you look at a horse like Pericles that has had a couple of runs back and is fit and going well, there’s probably a bit of an advantage for others there.”

Mark Zahra, who rode Without A Fight in last year’s spring triumphs, will ride Place Du Carrousel in the Underwood Stakes.

Originally published as High-priced mare Place Du Carrousel out to boost value with Underwood Stakes win