€150,000 Orcada 4yo Chase (Gr3): Kaadam gives the beat

Auteuil, France – October 19, 2024 – Four weeks out from the Prix Maurice Gillois 4yo Chase (Gr1), the best 4-year-old chasers lined up for the €150,000 Prix Orcada 4yo Chase (Gr3) over the same 4,400-meter course at Auteuil. The first four home in the spring championship, the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1), were competing again, but it was the fourth-place finisher from that race, Kaadam (Saint des Saints), who was the favorite. The Ferdinand Dufaure winner, Kolokico (Cokoriko), had been pulled up in their recent rematch in the Prix The Fellow Marquise de Moratalla 4yo Chase (Gr3). The AQPS Kador de Ciergues (Masterstroke), second in the Ferdinand Dufaure, had once again finished second, eight lengths behind Kaadam, in the Prix The Fellow. The third-place finisher from the "Ferdinand Dufaure," Koriste (Cokoriko), had finished fourth in the same comeback race.

This time, however, it was Sissi du Mesnil (Kapgarde) who took the early, long lead over Ventura Highway (Kapgarde), Kolokico, and Kaadam, who would take over at the head of affairs approaching the big open ditch. Soon after, he took the lead alone to tackle the final turn and was never challenged again. The Richard Corveller-bred colt, now owned by Simon Macauley, Écurie Hub de Montmirail and Andrew Peake, won his second consecutive Group 3 race by twenty lengths from Kolokico, who rallied well after losing ground on the backstretch.

Kador des Ciergues, always close to the pace throughout the race, finished third, another six lengths behind.

Kaadam won on his debut in April 2023 at Bordeaux over hurdles. He then won the following September at Auteuil on his chasing debut in the Prix Weather Permitting and followed up with a victory in the Prix Congress (Gr2). He seems to have returned to his best for his second autumn campaign at Auteuil.

The colt was born in May 2020 in Mayenne. His dam Fiestine (Martaline), bred by the Chassagneux family and also trained by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, also raced for Richard Corveller. She won four consecutive races, including her chasing debut at Enghien, at the end of the series before finishing fifth in the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1) won by Kotkikova. She had won the Prix Roger Saint Chase (L) at Enghien the following autumn and then notably finished third in the Prix Sytaj (Gr3). Her brother Le Philanthrope (Doctor Dino), born in 2022, was sold for €48,000 at the 2023 autumn sales in Deauville, acquired by Equos Racing International.

Kaadam is the third product of Festine after Daradame (Kapgarde) and Kahsdam (Kapgarde), winner this same month of the Prix Triquerville (L) on the steeplechase of Auteuil. Two Doctor Dino fillies follow.