The Poule d’Essai des Poulains
The first of the French classics, the French 1000 and 2000 Guineas, were run on Sunday. The French 2000 Guineas, or Poule d’Essai des Poulains, has a reputation for being a “softer” classic than the English equivalent, and Timeform ratings of the last winners between 2009 and 2005 would substantiate that. It will be interesting to see how Tin Horse (Sakhee), victor in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, stacks up to Frankel, brilliant winner of the Quipco 2000 Guineas come the end of the year.
Here are the ratings for the Guineas winners between 2005 and 2009.
English 2000 Guineas Poule d’Essai des Poulains
2009 Sea The Stars 140 Silver Frost 122
2008 Henrythenavigator 131 Falco 122
2007 Cockney Rebel 127 Astronomer Royal 121
2006 George Washington 133 Aussie Rules 123
2005 Footstepsinthesand 124 Shamardal 129
It is clearly worth noting that just one of the French Guineas winners, Shamardal, was higher rated than the English Guineas winner of his year – and that winner, Footstepsinthesand, never ran again and was retired after winning the 2000 Guineas.
It is hard to see the trend changing this year, as Frankel looks a machine, and Tin Horse will have to continue improving to challenge the Henry Cecil trained colt.
What is interesting about Tin Horse’s pedigree is the number of former French 2000 Guineas winner in the first five generations. Great –grandsire, Riverman, won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains back in 1972, before going on to an illustrious stud career; he sired the 1979 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner, Irish River.
Tin Horse is out of a mare by Kendor – winner of the 1989 French 2000 Guineas. Kendor’s grandsire, Kalamoun, and great-grandsire, Zeddaan, both won the French classic, before going on to influential stud careers.
Tin Horse’s granddam, Cape of Good Hope, is by Crystal Glitters – son of 1977 French 2000 Guineas winner Blushing Groom, himself sire of 1988 Poule d’Essai des Poulains victor Blushing John.
In short, Tin Horse’s first generations contain four previous French 2000 Guineas winners, all of whom enjoyed success at stud.
The pedigrees of the French 2000 and 1000 Guineas also make for an interesting comparison as far as commercial appeal goes. Tin Horse is one of just eight stakes winners for former Prix de’l Arc de Triomphe winner Sakhee- a son of the failed sire Bahri. Tin Horse is out of a G3 winner, by the leading broodmare sire Kendor, but his female line is more solid than spectacular.
By contrast, Golden Lilac (winner of the Poule d’Essai Pouliches) became the 18th G1 winner for dual champion sire Galileo – already represented this year by classic winners Frankel and Igugu. The unbeaten filly is out of the G1 Prix du Moulin winner Grey Lilas – by multiple champion broodmare sire Danehill.
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A Royal Mistake
It was a frustrating experience watching last week’s G2 Totesport.com Dante Stakes. The race was broadcast in just a quarter of the television screen, making the race almost impossible to see. What was worse, the race was squashed into the screen, even though there was no local racing taking place, or preview, just horses ambling behind the starting stalls! Not only is the G2 Dante one of the most prestigious races in the British calendar, and a leading prep for the Investec Derby next month (a race with plenty of appeal to South African punters), it is a race which formed part of a Place Accumulator which had plenty of punters money on.
While Tellytrack is a betting channel, and one which clearly has little interest in appealing to horse racing fans per say, it is a poor show when the channel can’t even be bothered to screen one of the main betting races on a full screen.
What was interesting about the Dante, however, is that the race was captured by Carlton House, bred and owned by Her MajestyThe Queen. The colt is a son of Street Cry, best known as the sire of legenday US mare Zenyatta and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. Street Cry, however, is also more than capable of siring high-class turf runners. To date, Street Cry has sired four G1 winners on turf, including former Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and G1 Sun Chariot Stakes winner Majestic Roi. He is well known in South Africa, through the deeds of Eighth Street and top 3yo filly Hollywoodboulevard.
Street Cry’s sire, Machiavellian, is becoming an increasingly influential name in international breeding. Not only is he the sire of Street Cry, he is the broodmare sire of Shamardal, whose first two crops have included no fewer than 28 stakes winners including G1 winners Lope de Vega, Faint Perfume and Casamento.
Machiavellian, who is also the broodmare sire of the 2011 Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa, is also the paternal grandsire of Dutch Art (Medicean) – a former G1 Middle Park Stakes winner, who has made a very promising start to his stud career. Currently the second leading first crop sire in the UK, Dutch Art’s first 15 runners to date, include four winners, among them the unbeaten stakes winning filly, Miss Work of Art. Dutch Art is out of a Spectrum mare.
Another good indication of Machiavellian’s burgeoning influence is the fact that last year’s dual French classic winner, Lope de Vega, is closely inbred to him. A son of Shamardal, Lope de Vega is out of the Vettori (Machiavellian) mare, Lady Vettori.
Machiavellian is best known in South Africa as the sire of leading sire Kahal.
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Classic winner a tribute to sire
Beach Beauty, winner of Friday night’s G2 KRA Fillies Guineas, is surely a tribute to her sire, the brilliant young stallion Dynasty. Not one of her first four dams have won a stakes race (or more than four races), and she is also the first stakes winner in four generations. Her daughter, Sun Coast, is by the disappointing sire Capture Him.
Rather strangely, Beach Beauty is the only daughter of Dynasty, thus far, to win a graded race.
Dynasty has now produced classic winners in his first two crops – and thus has emulated a feat achieved by both his sire, Fort Wood, and his grandsire, Sadler’s Wells.
