Reine de Saba

In her first two appearances, Reine de Saba was campaigned over sprint distances, finishing third over 1100 metres and 1300 metres. In her final run as a juvenile she recorded her first win in a maiden race over 1600 metres.[3]

Reine de Saba began her second season in the Prix de la Seine over 2000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse and won by two lengths from Shelina. On 21 May the filly was moved up in class and started 11/10 favourite for the Group One Prix Saint-Alary on soft ground over 2100 metres the same course. Her opponents nine opponents were headed by Fruhlingstag, A Thousand Stars and Tempus Fugit who had finished second, third and fourth behind Dancing Maid in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches three weeks earlier. Reine de Saba raced behind her pacemaker before Freddy Head sent her into the lead entering the straight. She was never seriously challenged, winning by two and a half lengths from the outsider Lys River, with A Thousand Stars taking third ahead of Tempus Fugit and Gayka. With Dancing Maid being sent to England for The Oaks, Reine de Saba started 3/10 favourite for the Prix de Diane at over 2100 metres Chantilly Racecourse on 11 June, being coupled in the betting with her stablemates Madge and the Prix de Royaumont winner La Dorga. Lys River, Fruhlingstag, A Thousand Stars, Gayka and Tempus Fugit were again in opposition along with Calderina (winner of the Prix de Sandringham) and the British-trained Cistus (winner of the Waterford Candelabra Stakes and the Lupe Stakes). Reine de Saba raced just behind the leaders until the straight when she moved up into second place behind Cistus. 300 metres from the finish she accelerated past the British filly to win by two lengths with Calderina in third ahead of the outsider Paddle. Reine de Saba sustained a chipped bone in her knee during the race and did not race again in 1978.[3]

Returning from a break of fourteen months, Reine de Saba returned to run third in a race over 1800 metres and then finished second, beaten half a length by Look Fast in the Prix Ridgway at Deauville Racecourse in August. She finished fourth behind Rusticaro, Trillion and Northern Baby the Prix du Prince d'Orange but then ran unplaced behind Producer when second favourite for the Prix de l'Opéra in October. Later that month she recorded her only success of the year when beating A Thousand Stars by two and a half lengths in the Prix du Point de Jour over 2000 metres at Longchamp. On her final appearance Reine de Saba was sent to California to contest the Grade I Yellow Ribbon Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Santa Anita Park and was a fast-finishing fourth behind Country Queen.[4]