This year's Tattersalls July Sale was an encouraging one for the industry as few horses went unsold and the prices achieved by the top lots were in line with expectations. However, for the juvenile hurdle enthusiast, there was little to get excited over as the sale produced very few transactions with designs on the sphere. Regarding the lots fetching over 18,000gns, NBB Racing, who have acted on behalf of Gary Moore and Dr Richard Newland in the past, brought a pair of unraced fillies from Godolphin. Craig and Laura Buckingham, whose charges have ran over the jumps, had a colt and a gelding for 20,000 and 18,000 while More Than A Prince, who fetched 58,000gns, is set to be given time and a gelding operation. At this juncture, the only horse who more likely than not to contest juvenile hurdles Pawpaw.
Pawpaw bg P Webber 5-1-1 (72) 77
Showcasing (Teofilo){1-n}(1.00) 2/1 Double Deputy 111 2x1st Handicap Hurdle (95,105), Market Rasen 2007
Second then first in his two starts this season, both ten furlong handicaps at Lingfield, Pawpaw joins Paul Webber with a flat rating of 72. Closely related to a couple of classic placed horses (2/1 Lend A Hand 2nd 1998 2000 Guineas, 3/2 Tamure 2nd 1995 Epsom Derby), Pawpaw is out of a half sister to a dual hurdles winner and can find classy eighties hurdler Cima 6/4 on the damsline. Showcasing has made a fair start with juvenile hurdlers with two of his nine charges finding success in the sphere although his jumpers have yet to win over any ground softer than good or at any distance beyond two easy miles. Teofilo is a slightly above average damsire of juveniles with a 40% improvement rate between codes. Trainer Paul Webber is zero from eight with juveniles since 2012/13 and is historically without notable juvenile prizes to his name. While Pawpaw would be his most expensive recruit during that time, only one of eleven ex-Clive Cox inmates (Nicky Henerson's Little Dutch Girl) have won in the sphere.
With the sale failing to provide much else to discuss, here are three horses from France who are not currently listed in any markets for the Triumph Hurdle but are likely to ply their trade in the UK or Ireland this season.
Busselton bg J P O'Brien 1-1-0
Mastercraftsman (Rock Of Gibraltar){1-u}(2.43) 5/4 Soldier On Parade runs tomorrow at Bangor
Like the Prix Rush and the Prix Grandak, the Prix Wild Monarch is another race for horses making their first appearances over hurdles. Recent graduates include Footpad, Dolas and Botox Has in keeping with its tradition of introducing some top class animals to the game over the years such as Long Run, Golden Silver, Remember Rose, Hinterland and Le Grand Luce to name but a few. This year's edition, boasting a large field of nineteen starters, was won by Busselton who was representing the David Cottin yard. His fourth dam, 1983 1000 Guineas winner Ma Biche, has not supplemented her successes on the racecourse in the breeding sheds and Busselton is her only descendant to have won over obstacles. Rock Of Gibraltar was capable as a sire of juveniles but offers little enthusiasm as a damsire. However, for all that the distaff side is a proverbial family tree of woe, sire Mastercraftsman is the leading sire of juveniles by individual winners which amounts to a respectable 29% of all runners. Furthermore, two of the three Joseph O'Brien juveniles who started in French Hurdle races have won and the third, Fine Brunello, chased home stablemate and fellow import Fakir d'Oudairies in the Grade Two Finesse in 2019. This season's Prix Wild Monarch has yet to produce any winners from thirteen attempts although fourth placed Hades was second next time in the Prix Rocking Chair and he's the only representative from the first four who were ten lengths clear of the remainder.
State Man chg Unknown 1-0-1
Doctor Dino (Johann Quatz){4-r}(0.71) 0.5 Statuaire 2nd Prix Finot (listed), Auteuil 2018
Second behind Busselton was State Man who finished two lengths behind the winner. By Doctor Dino, a most capable stallion who can count Sceau Royal, Sharjah and Master Dino amongst his offspring, State Man also has juvenile credentials on the damline. His half sister was second in the Prix Finot two seasons ago while the dam, who incidentally was third in the Fillies' Wild Monarch, collected the listed Prix de Chambly in 2009. State Man is down has being exported on the France Gallop site although information of his whereabouts is not readily available online. He was trained by Daniela Mele for his sole start and her other export to the UK was Stratagem who ran for Paul Nicholls - a trainer who has a history of acquiring runners from the Prix Wild Monarch. Nevertheless, the notion that State Man might well be at Ditcheat is pure conjecture on my part.
Hope You Do bg Unknown 1-1-0
Boris de Deauville (Nononito){3-c}(2.00) 2/1 Bidourey 3x1st Juvenile Hurdles 2014/15
Registered as "sold" on France Galop, Hope You Do won a bumper at Angers on the 23rd of May by two lengths. The runner up has subsequently finished second at Les Sables d'Olonne and the third placed Hockney Vallis improved one position on his return to Angers. The late Boris de Deauville, sire of dual listed hurdle winner Baxter, is one winner from one runner with his juveniles in the UK after Pola Chance won a Wetherby handicap off 92. Hope You Do himself is out of a half sister to David Pipe's Bidourey who also won an AQPS flat race on his debut for Isabelle Pacault.
Shifting to the topic of tomorrow's race at Bangor, it is with deep contrition that I must publish erratum and addenda. Firstly, on two occasions I mistakenly said that the race at Newton Abbot took place on Monday when in fact, it was Tuesday. Secondly, I neglected to give due consideration to the exacerbated stamina concerns that Bangor will present to Debt Of Honour and consequently, I can only consider his prospects to be moderate rather than feasible. Furthermore, in light of Gary Moore finally getting a winner at Bath last night, Big Jimbo's prospects can be elevated from moderate to feasible. The revised prospects summary now reads as follows;-
Strong prospects
1. Hiconic
Reasonable prospects
2. Soldier On Parade
Feasible prospects
3. Big Jimbo
Moderate prospects (swap Depardieu and Debt Of Honour in the event of drying ground)
4. Depardieu
5. Debt Of Honour
Negligible prospects
6. Current
7. Avis Bay
8. Jean Marie
tl:dr
- The Tattersalls July Sales probably didn't see the Triumph Hurdle winner
- The first two in the Prix Wild Monarch might be running in Ireland and maybe the UK. Each have interesting credentials
- There's also some AQPS horse who might run in the UK
- I have made a slight amendment to my assessment of tomorrow's race on the basis of unconsidered evidence and Gary Moore sending out a winner last night.