Maiden winners weekly (Aug28-Sept10)

FLAT

MARIE DE MEDICIS (F2), GB by Cape Cross ex Caterina de Medici (Redoute’s Choice)
Prix de Tanit (Maiden, 2F, 1,600m Turf), August 28, Deauville

Owner : Claudio Marzocco
Trainer : Jean-Claude Rouget
Breeder : Minster Stud
Rider : Christophe Soumillon

7th to Efaadah for her debuts in the Prix des Marettes, Marie de Medicis didn't wait too long to score. She didn't break well with the rail, but Soumillon pushed her forward so that she could trail the leading Star of Vendome (Style Vendome). The Jean-Claude Rouget trainee went out of her pocket entering the straight and took over but had to fight hard to keep the unraced Zomara (Dubawi) at bay.

Marie de Medicis' dam, Caterina de Medici (Redoute's Choice), made €320,000 as a yearling at Arqana August Sale in 2010. Trained by Alain de Royer Dupré, she raced 6 thimes without breaking her maiden and didn't do much better in britain since it took her 5 races to finally score on Southwell's all-weather... by 7 lentghs !

Marie de Medicis is her first foal, bought back for 32,000 Guineas as a weanling, but sold 35,000 Guineas as a yearling to Jean-Claude Rouget, again at Tattersalls. Her sister by Canford Cliffs is for sale at Newmarket in October. Their 2nd dam, Night Dhu (Montjeu), is a sister to champion mare Grey Lilas (Danehill).

MISTER JO (F2), IRE by High Chaparral ex Zanzibar Girl (Johannesburg)
Prix des Roches Noires (Maiden, 2C&G, 1,600m Tuf), August 28, Deauville

Owner : Écurie des Charmes
Trainer : Jean-Claude Rouget
Breeder : Renata Coleman
Rider : Christophe Soumillon

Mister Jo's karma is pretty close to Marie de Medicis's in many ways : both are trained by Rouget and won their first race that day with Soumillon up, both started slowly, and finished well on their debut, on the same card already, both avenged themselves 20 days later at Deauville, and again despite a sluggish start! Mister Jo was too far back to threaten 4th-placed Five Ice Cubes (Rip Van Winkle) and 3rd-placed Giovanni del Ponte (Holy Roman Emperor) in the Prix Crévecoeur but he crushed them this time…

Mister Jo's dam, the US-bred Zanzibar Girl (Johannesburg), was also bred by Renata Coleman. She's a sister to South African sire Rabah (Nashwan), out of Prix du Bois (Gr3) winner The Perfect Life (Try My Best), a sister to the great Last Tycoon.

Mister Jo's yearling brother by Dawn Approach is for sale at Goffs Ireland on September 28.

Mister Jo himself went a few times on the ring. He was sold to Coulonces Consignment (Anna Drion) €54,000€ at Goffs mixed sale in February 2016, and was later bought €110,000€ by Meridian International (Ghislain Bozo) at Arqana August yearling sale for Écurie des Charmes.

LA BRÉVIÈRE (F3), GB by Fastnet Rock ex Zibeling (Cape Cross)
Prix du Louvet (Maiden, 3yo, 1,300m AW), August 28, Deauville

Owners : Antoine Gilibert et Haras d’Étreham
Trainer : Fabrice Chappet
Breeder : Good Breeding
Rider : Christophe Soumillon

It was La Brévière's 10th race. Born in February, she was deemed good enough to start her racing career in Monroe Bay's Prix de la Cascade, always a very competitive beginners race. A very concistet filly, La Brèvière ran 6 times in 2017 and never finished out of the frame. Bred in Britain, she'as not eligible to Owners' Premiums and yet made €35,200 as of today. She's also wuite well bred as her dam Zibeling (Cape Cross) is out of the excellent sprinting mare Zelding (Warning), form a family full of speed tracing back to Mill Princess, Last Tycoon's dam, whom we just metnionned in Mister Jo's pedigree.

The 2yo brother to La Brévière by Acclamation was sold 170.000 Guineas at Tattersalls Breeze Up sale last Spring. he won his maiden at Brighton for trainer Simon Crisford since then.

MUDAWWAN (C3), IRE by Invincible Spirit ex Louve Sacrée (Seeking the Gold)
Prix du Hamel (Maiden, 3yo, 1.500m PSF), August 30, Deauville

Owner : Hamdan Al Maktoum
Trainer : François Rohaut
Breeder : Herbertstown et Dimed
Rider : Christophe Soumillon

2nd for his debut at Chantilly over the mile, well beaten at La Teste over 9 furlongs, 2nd to the good Tornibush at Vichy, Mudawwan finally found his maiden over 1,500n on all-weather. Yet he had to fight hard to hold off Ripazur (Rip van Winkle), who just failed on the post for his 3rd attempt.

Bought as a yearling for 80,000 Guineas at Tattersalls, Mudawwan is out of the maiden mare Louve Sacrée (Seeking the Gold), who only raced once for trainer André Fabre and owner-breeder Wildenstein family. Louve Sacrée's dam, the great Louveterie (Nureyev), is probably one of the finest broodmare ever owned by the Wildensteins. 2nd in the Prix de Diane (Gr1) won by Lady in Silver, whom she'd beaten in the Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1) won by Behera, she became a great mare at stud with  Loup Sauvage, Loup Solitaire, Louve, etc.

SWEETY DREAM (F2, Head picture), FRA by Dream Ahead ex Excellent Girl (Exceed and Excel)
Prix de la Cascade (Unraced 2F, 1,600m Turf), September 3, Chantilly

Owner : Guy Pariente
Trainer : Pascal Bary
Breeder : Aylerion Bloodstock Ltd
Rider : Pierre-Charles Boudot

An easy winner, drom pillar to post by over 2 lentghs, Sweety Dream should have started her career a month earlier in the Prix des Marettes, in Deauville, but she got upset in her stalls and the stewards called her off, leaving subsequent Prix d'Aumale-G3 second Efaadah win the race on her own. Quieter this time, Sweety Dream more than redeemed herself.

Bought as a yearling for €30,000€ by Agence FIPS at Arqana October yearling sale in 2016, Sweety Dream is out of the good Excellent Girl (Exceed and Excel), a Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1) 4th to Stacelita  for recently retired trainer Yves de Nicolaÿ, betaing the good Plumania. She later gave a yearling colt by Siyouni.

KINGSTAR (C2), FRA by Evasive ex King’s Parody (King’s Best)
Prix de Fontenoy (Unraced 2C&G, 1,600m Turf), September 3, Chantilly

Owner : Écurie des Charmes
Trainer : Pia Brandt
Breeder : Charles Barel
Rider : Maxime Guyon

Fast out trailing Godolphin's Corsen (Cape cross), Kingstar had to fight all the way to overcome the latter, prevailing by half a lentgh in the end.

Bought for €20,000 at Osarus yealring sale in September 2016 by Meridian International (Ghislain Bozo), Kingstar is the 5th fal out of King’s Parody (King's Best), a sister to sire Panis (Miswaki), winner of Prix de Condé (Gr3) and Prix Messidor (Gr3).

The best brother to Kingstar to date is Kapstadt (Country Reel), a Prix de Suresnes 3rd in France for François Doumen, who'd bought him as a yearling in Deauville, nad has become a handicapper over flat and jumps with Ian Williams, ex-assistant to Doumen. He won his handicap last June at Newmarket.

A yearling colt by Zanzibari is born out of King's Parody after Kingstar.

JUMPS

DAMALISQUE (G4), FRA, AQPS by Linda’s Lad ex Rochdale (Vidéo Rock)
Prix Achille-Fould Hurdle (Unraced 4+), September 1st, Auteuil

Owner : Guy Cherel
Trainer : Guy Cherel
Breeders : Guy et Emmanuel Cherel
Riders : Geoffrey Ré

Twice a winner over the flat, 4th in Critérium du Centre-Est des AQPS (AQPS-Gr3) at Vichy and in Prix Paul Colins at Sables-d’Olonne, Damalisque was the favourite to win his hurdling debuts in the Prix Achille-Fould. He followed the leading Alkaprun (Al Namix), whom he took over between the last two hurdles, and accelerated as if he'd just started after that to win by 9 lentghs, on the bit.

Damalisque is the third winner out of halfbred Rochdale (Vidéo Rock), a sister to the good Saying Again (Califet) who herself finished 5th in Prix Renaud du Vivier 4yo Hurdle (Gr1) after two wins at Auteuil..

At stud, Rochdale gave Brookdale (Califet) and Calienta (Montmartre), both winning over hurdles, at Auteuil for the latter.

After Damalisque, Rochdale gave Eklat de Rire (Saddex) and Frontignan (Saddex), aged 3 and 2 respectively.

ECLIPSE DE COTTE (F3), FRA, by Anzillero ex Traviata Valtat (Jimble)
Prix Finot-Pouliches Hurdle (Hurdle, Unraced 3yo fillies), September 7, Auteuil

Owner : Magalen Bryant
Trainer : Philippe Peltier
Breeders : Georges Richardot et Jean-Luc Buiron 
Rider : Johnny Charron

Marlonne (Martaline) led all the way and by the time they were passing the stands, the Marcel Rolland-trained grey filly was several lengths ahead of the field and going well. Her rider Alexis Acker managed to get her in check entering the opposite straight and Eclipse de Cotte (Anzillero) slowly came by with the rest of the field. Jumoing the last hurdle though, it looked as if Marlonne could saty ahead of her rival, only to lose the lead in the last 50 yards with the AQPS filly Eludy (Saddler Maker) finishing well six lengths behind in 3rd.

Bred in Saône-et-Loire by Georges Richardot, chairman of the Cluny racecourse, and Jean-Luc Buiron, Eclipse de Cotte is one of the last folas by German sire Anzillero, related to Sea The Stars and Galileo, who died early in 2014. Eclipse de Cotte's dam, Traviata Valtat (Jimble), won twice chasing at Pau and hurdling at Strasbourg  for trainer Emmanuel Clayeux. Before Eclipse, she gave Camelia de Cotte (Laveron), sold after her debut to Rich Ricci and a winner since at Tramore in Ireland for Willie Mullins. Eclipse de Cotte also has a 2yo brother and yearling sister by Tiger Groom.