ENGLISH TEXTS
Toby Jones for owner Johnny de la Hey and became the first horse of his to go to trainer Dan Skelton. The form of his races is working out well with the horse who was second to him when he won, Shabrack going on to win at Compiegne on his next start and probably the best horse to come out of either of his two runs is Midnight Cowboy. He was 9th behind Precious Man on his first start in the prix rush and has since finished third and second in two group threes. A juvenile campaign will be the plan and who knows where the limit is with this horse.
Macktoad Macktoad is next on my list of French imports that look to have an exciting future across the channel, and he is one that the training duo of father and son Gary and Josh more are certainly looking forward to. Macktoad won the Prix Roger De Soultrait at Vichy over a mile and a half for AQPS three-yearold for trainer Alain Couetil who co-owned and bred him with Haras du Montagiu. He is by the young and exciting sire Beaumec du Houelle out of the Network mare Toady. Toady was a winner over hurdles and has produced eight foals with five of them winning including the group 2 AQPS flat winner Genola and she is from the family of Quarano and Urano. Despite Macktoad showing signs of greenness throughout the race, he was kept up to work by his jockey to win by half a head in what turned in to sprint finish. The stats support the strong finish as well with a finishing speed of 114 %. The form of the race is very strong with the 2nd Misty Morning and 3rd Mississippi River both coming into the race as previous winners and Misty Morning won on his following start at Le Lion d’ angers. He was purchased by Jacob Pritchard Webb at the Arqana July sale for 125000 euros for the Moore’ s and can report the horse is doing well in his new environment. He will be targeted at juveniles hurdles with the aim to get him to the Cheltenham festival in one of the two races applicable to him.
Macao Macao makes the list as he was the most expensive horse from the jumps section sold at the Arqana July sale with a sale to Guy Petit and Venetia Williams for 320,000 euros. This threeyear-old AQPS horse is a son of Telecaster who this year is having his first batch of runners and is certainly making an impression with people. Alongside Macao there was another Telecaster that went through the ring called Gold Cast and she was sold to Highflyer bloodstock and Paul Nichols for 300,000 euros. Macao is the sixth foals out of the Bara straight mare Cour d’ Eau Ludique. She was a three-race maiden herself and a half sister to grade two winner Baie Des Iles. Macao who was owned and trained by Henri Francois Devin whos parents own and stand
Telecaster and I know they are big believers in the stallion. He was bred however by Haras Des Sablonnets and JP Totain. His only French start was in conditions race for AQPS three-year-olds at Lyon Parilly. It was only a four-runner contest, but Macao under Dorian Provost set out with strong intentions and took up the running early on and never saw another horse before going on to win by an impressive six lengths. The form has since been boost significantly as the second Mysoko star has since ran three more time finishing second once and winning two Group 3 AQPS flat races for Lageneste and Macaire. Now with Venetia Williams who likes to take a patient approach with her horses, it will be interesting to see how a precosious forward horse like him will be campaigned,
Lascar du Mathan Lascar du Mathan is the fifth and final horse from my selection of the group and is the only four-year-old. He is another one to make the list that is by the might stallion Doctor Dino, and he is out of a Turgeon mare called Delice Nouba. He is the third foal out of the dam and she herself was a winner over both hurdles and fences and is half-sister to Kabral du Mathan whos a very high-class horse with Paul Nicholls. Lascar du Mathan was a 100,000-euro purchase at Arqana by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm and ran in the colors of
# 12 168