Quisisana's swan song could still be ahead of her after her commendable third in last weekend's Hong Kong Cup (G1).
It was expected that the outing at Sha Tin Racecourse would be the 11th and final calling point of the 5-year-old mare's career before she returned home to become the pride of Haras de la Perelle, her owner and breeder.
Quisisana's trainer, Francis-Henri Graffard, and Perelle owner Jurgen Winter will now be taking their time digesting a result which left the promise of more to come.
Although never likely to have prevented Hong Kong's outstanding Romantic Warrior from claiming the race for the fourth time in a row, Quisisana and Christophe Soumillon had their route through from the rear blocked by Rousham Park and Bellagio Opera at a critical time turning into the home straight before they picked off rivals late on in the home straight.
"We knew that winning was going to be a tough gig with Romantic Warrior in the race and we were thinking of a place, so the result was very good," Perelle's farm manager William Rimaud said.
"She was a bit unfortunate on the last turn. She was in a bit of a sandwich with the two Japanese horses and we thought she would lose her action, but Christophe managed to get her balance back and she finished really well.
"She came back from the race pretty good. She arrived at Francis' on Thursday morning, she's been eating well and seems very happy."
The daughter of the late Le Havre did not appear until the June of her 3-year-old career and returned to land a minor event at Compiegne this summer after an entire year off the track. Steadily stepped up in class, she landed the Prix Jean Romanet (G1), was ninth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), and then third to Kalpana at Ascot on British Champions Day.
"The plan at the moment is to come back to the farm for the next breeding season. Whether we try to have another race at the beginning of the year somewhere, or something like that, that's not decided yet," Rimaud said.
"The mare will tell us but Francis is very happy with her. She hasn't run a lot, so depending on what Francis wants to do and especially what Mr. Winter wants to, then we'll see if we chance a last race or not. But it's pretty unlikely that she'll do a whole year racing next year.
"We'll see how she comes back. She'll spend Christmas at Francis' and then we'll decide from there."
Quisisana is a granddaughter of one of Winter's foundation mares, the Gestut Park Wiedingen-bred Quezon Sun. The listed-placed daughter of Monsun produced the 2015 Prix du Cadran (G1) winner Mille Et Mille while Quisisana's mother, Quamoclit, is unraced and by Sea The Stars. The international lineage makes her a potential outcross for almost all of Europe's major stallions.
"Being from that family makes her pretty special," Rimaud continues.
"Also she's the first group 1 winner in France bred and owned by Mr. Winter. All the other group 1 winners were abroad—Giofra won in Newmarket, Simca Mille won in Berlin, and Reggane won in Canada.
"She's a beautiful mare and very courageous after everything she's gone through. She's had a few injuries, so being able to continue to compete at that level is pretty good. It shows she's got a great mind. She'll have a very nice future on the farm, that's for sure."
