The Right Man a new Group 1 star for Lope De Vega

THE RIGHT MAN (GB) - 2012 bay gelding

Three Troikas (by Lyphard) was both Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old in Europe in 1979 following an outstanding season in which she swept the Group 1 series of Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), Prix Saint-Alary, Prix Vermeille and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She was also runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks).

The Timeform 133-rated filly easily beat Le Marmot and Troy in the Arc, she won the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt at four in a season that paled in comparison with her classic year yet earned her a Timeform mark of 128, and she went to stud with high expectations.

She produced only four winners from seven foals, headed by the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs winner and Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Three Angels (by Halo), she is the grandam of the listed race winners Thames (by Fabulous Dancer) and Three Wrens (by Second Empire), but one of her great-grandsons played a starring role at Meydan this afternoon.

The Right Man, who is trained in France by Didier Guillemin, narrowly won the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments, beating 66/1 Long On Value by a nose in the six-furlong turf event and with big-race favourite Ertijaal one and a quarter lengths farther back in third, a nose ahead of Jungle Cat.

The five-year-old is a gelded son of Group 1 star and Ballylinch Stud stallion Lope De Vega (by Shamardal), he was bred by Anita Wigan and he is a €32,000 graduate of the Arqana October Yearling Sale in Deauville.

Today's win was his ninth, he was third to Jungle Cat in a six-furlong conditions event at Meydan on his seasonal reappearance earlier this month, and he rounded off 2016 with victories in the Listed Prix de Bonneval over five and a half furlongs and Group 3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise over six, both at Maisons-Laffitte.

The Right Man is the best of six winners out of one-time scorer Three Owls (by Warning), three of those siblings are multiple scorers, and two are blacktype earners, with the more notable of the latter being Listed Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Three Moons (by Montjeu) because she is the dam of the Group 3-placed Listed Godolphin Stakes winner Tashaar (by Sea The Stars).

Three Terns (by Arctic Tern), the grandam of The Right Man, was one of Three Troikas' four winners on the track. Oregon (by Halo) was another, and he was runner-up in the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct, but one of their unplaced siblings deserves a mention too.

Three Secrets (by Secretariat) shared none of the considerable ability of her famous parents, but her granddaughter Thanks Note (by Sakura Bakushin O) won the Group 2 Keio Hai Spring Cup over seven furlongs at Tokyo as a five-year-old.

Today's victory makes The Right Man an interesting contender for Europe's top sprints of 2017 and it made him the third winner at the highest level for his young sire, following Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Jemayel and new Kildangan Stud stallion Belardo, who won the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.