PORTO is near

Always very prominent, was run out of 4th in last few strides. Clearly needed the run so a prochain!

Frapper Map

The irresistible desire to play with new web toys means you have the chance to locate yourself on the map below, you will have to use the - button to zoom out to maximum and then drag to get New Zealand to show!

TINA is gorgeous

.. like all the others (and of course Marion Teresa David Celine and Clara are gorgeous too... and the dogs in case they feel discriminated against!). We had a very enjoyable visit to see the newborn today and she jumped around the box and mum Festina in a way we hope translates to the track later.
Later Porto was given the routine 20 minute respirator treatment with essential oils (pin sylvestre this time if you want to know). Not sure how much he enjoys it but it certainly seems to clear out a horse's lungs and enable them to finish better.
Rosko didnt feel like being photographed because he was a little sore after losing his essential masculinity yesterday, but Rosa posed classically in the field where she has gone to develop.. she will not be out as a 2yo!

PATIENTEZ...

Conclusion from yesterday ... ORLANDO needs another 3 or 4 hard races to get him back to race fitness. 95/1 was right! He started very well, held a forward position on inside until 'eased out' by Marion at the 1000m but simply couldn't do much from the 500. No trotting or 'head' problems, so he will race every 2 weeks or so from now on until..... Sadly Marion's easing out in front of Pierre Levesque cost him a two day 'holiday', probably because ultimately it cost the hot favourite the race.

Querido ran a super race against high quality opposition. 7th but would have been third if able to get a run in the straight. And Prince Djo raced kindly and impressively though out of a place.

New ParisTurf online

Costing 60centimes/40p a day the newly expanded online version is good value(for some of us)
Orlando runs in the 4th (1520) at Vincennes tomorrow as a 'gros outsider' as do Querido in the second and Prince Djo in the sixth.

Note : to expand any image to full size just double click on it.

FesTINA gives us TINA

Festina produced another nice girl a few days ago - that makes it 7 out of 9 foals. TINA DES BAUX is of course a full sister to ORLANDO (being, like Twilight, by IDEAL de L'ITON). Hope she's even half as good!!

thanks Kurt

It was really great to have an open-minded enthusiast around as we took our trips into the world of French trotting. Sadly that is not always the case with the British who visit. Kurt almost certainly ranks as the best French speaker in the owners of the English-speaking trotting world, so that was a great help. And we found we had other interests in common! (see pic.... taken by Hilary who also shares them!) To catch up on his reactions to Enghien, Argentan, Evreux and Vincennes drop in to his blog at http://kurtofgerolstein.blogspot.com

PERFECT DREAM (SWE)

Here he is at 4 and how good he now looks (a lot like his paternal grandmum Bahama)despite having demolished a concrete fence at full gallop recently! He has Attitude!. Pictured with Teddy Petitjean at Bill Green's establishment at Thieville near Saint Pierre sur Dives. You remember that his father, I am the Best, has the fabulous parentage of Buvetier d'Aunou and Bahama, the top boy and girl of their year. and that his 4th dam is none other then Gelinotte, who won two Prix d'Ameriques for the legendary Charlie Mills. [Double click on image to get enlarged pedigree]



Unfortunately he didn't perform well enough on the track to be approved as a stallion by the French Studbook, but Bill bred from him and took the progeny to Sweden to be registered. He will only be able to race in France if he turns out to be very good. Signs are promising.... say no more at moment.

PORTO joins the team

As part of the arrangements concerning Orlando's use as a stallion I have acquired an interest in the useful 4yo gelding PORTO DE BOOTZ (Caballio in Blue- Star de la Chaise), who I have seen run well last summer. He was in need of a couple of runs yesterday at Vincennes but did very well, rattling home after an interrupted journey in 1.16.4. He was actually seventh, which was fortunate since if he had been sixth he would have been over the limit for a nice race on the 22nd (Tuesday night) meeting at Vincennes. (Above, waiting with David for his post-race shower in charming medieval dress!)

MODERN JAZZ

... going Upbeat next year perhaps? Both Moonlight and Festina will be visiting this bay son of Cygnus d'Odyssee and a Kimberland mare who has a 1'12 record.



Lauréat du Prix de Rome à Enghien et 2 fois placé de Groupe II à Vincennes, Modern Jazz poussait la note très haut. Il construisait ses victoires en fondant sur ses adversaires, accélérant le rythme dans le dernier kilomètre et les étouffant sur une pointe de vitesse. C’était très « swing ». La partition faisait un tabac. Un morceau de choix, ce trotteur entré tout neuf au haras : Cygnus d’Odyssée, le fils de Workaholic le plus en souffle au haras et une mère par Kimberland, qui introduit le sang de Fandango, par l’un de ses meilleurs instruments, Vasco. En guise de chorus, la remuante famille d’Himo Josselyn et Let’s Go Along. Pas de doute, c’est très moderne comme standard, et ça va plaire…

French Trotting prizemoney

This month's TROT Infos magazine contains the basic data for the year 2006 The conversions from Euros (.68£ and 1.84NZ$) make interesting reading.



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Moonlight and Twilight say hi

POLINA has an outing

Off to Evreux with Kurt to see the lowest category of French hippodrome. It's relatively very near chez Hue so Prince des Baux and Polina were taken for an outing even though they are both 3-4 weeks short of race fitness. Polina looks wonderful and seems to have a better attitude to 'the job' than last year. Marion got her away in front and settled her in behind the favorite. She would have faded in the straight but Evreux is a very bumpy track and up and down to boot and one of these bumps sent her into a gallop for the first time in her career. Not to worry .. she will be much readier at Le Neuborg on May 27 we think. (The third entry from the stable, Quitus... , a 3yo by Fier, ran very well on his first start and was second.)