PORTO video 24/9/08

PORTO video 17/9/08

Latest Babe Pics

Excellent work with the camera KG!. D'Arcy has had a minor op on his leg (it was a little bendy), hence the bandage. Time will tell if it has worked...

Back UP OVER

An enjoyable 3 working weeks in Sydney ended with an extremely pleasant evening at Harold Park as guest (again!) of Robert and Gina Marshall. Robert is on the NSW Harness Racing Regulatory Body but is no longer head of the Inter Dominion Council under the new arrangments. Only one trot on the card but that was an improvement on the situation a few years ago! Robert also took me out to the new 1400 meter track at Menangle, where he arranged for me to start the last race - correction sit beside starter Paul O'Toole in the gate car. A nice despatch and the result took me back to my betting system evaluation work nearly 4o years ago... bet the drifting favourite in the last usually had a positive return. Of course the concept of the 'last race' has virtually disappeared with Trackside showing about 20 races an hour for 20 hours a day...By the way Menangle is a minimum of 1 hour's drive from Sydney and more like 75 minutes and will never be a replacement for HP in terms of crowds and functions. But it's a very nice and very fast country track. (Sadly it's called Menangle Park Paceway, even though there was a trot with 9 handicaps earlier in the day I went.)

Please stop disfiguring my horses!

There is really no excuse for this any more!

Lucie and D'Arcy latest pics

on Kurt's blog

Vicki and Dutchess

Missed seeing Thomas who was at 'kindie' but it was lovely to catch up with Vicki - due to foal just after Christmas - and to catch my first glimpse of Dutchess. Very nice indeed and once her problem of cart aversion is sorted we can hope to see something a little special I think. Tom (Trotupastorm) looks on in the background. He resumes in a week's time.

Midhurst

Midhurst is John and Christine McDermott's lovely new property at Prebbleton, opposite Nevele R stud. Wow... look at that house and those new stables and that superb track... not to mention the new six horse jogger!

D'Arcy ...

... very pleased with his apostrophe, which he acquired after I left Gerolstein but fully approve of.

LOVE YOUs in the flesh

LUCY DE GEROLSTEIN (rear) and DARCY DE GEROLSTEIN (front) present to us on 8 November 2008. NZ's premier breeding expert Frank Marrion joins me to cast an eye on the results of his promotion of the leading French stallion. Tres impressionant is the verdict.

PORTO has a fine re-entry

It was the perfect race for him ... until the draw came out and he was 8 on the gate. Over 2150 at Argentan that inevitably meant losing 20 meters by the end of the first turn to the leader from 4. DMH brought PORTO up to sit outside the leader for the last 1100 metres and he ran on very well for third, not helped by the 5 horse having his wheel inside David's for the last 100 meters, preventing him getting second. David copped an avertissement (warning) for saying he didn't agree with the comissaires' decision that this hadn't affected the result. (You have to agree with not merely accept apparently... must be unique in sport!) Anyway it was a very pleasing run and he probably heads for La Capelle on 11 November (2700 autostart). Methinks I will have already been racing that day in Christchurch because it is Cup Day.
A new website should be showing Porto's race by the 28th
http://www.lescourseshippiquesbassenormandie.com/Default.aspx
enter Argentan and scroll down to 26/10/2008. His is course 8
(Kurt's win with Rosy is race 2 at Domfront on their one raceday.)
Earlier I had climbed Le Mont de Baux de Breteuil to see PORTO being given some starting gate practice.

and Snowball getting some walking exercise. You haven't heard much about him but apparently there is some hope that he will get there by the spring.

David came en famille on Sunday and Clara was able to help in various ways through the day. PORTO is an exceptionally nice horse as well as a good one.

LUCY DE GEROLSTEIN - tres jolie!

Love You # 1 arrives down under

After some uncertainty about the sex we now know that we have a big filly by Love You from La Grande Duchesse by Sundon. Just look at that paper! Even got Johnny Globe (my favourite childhood pacer). Kurt had General Boum lined up as the name but thinks it might not be entirely appropriate!

SIERRA and SUPERBOWL

Off to Grosbois first thing Friday morning after watching Riposte run 4th at Enghien the previous evening. All four of the 2yos Marion, Bernard and David took qualified respectably, but not brilliantly, in the 1.20 to 1.21 km rate range (for 2000m) Of course everything was new to them and 3 false starts used up a lot of Sierra's energy. (Sierra top pic, Superbowl below). But the time has come to get the ecurie in hand (with Tina and Twilight coming into work any day!)and so all four were worked exactly the same way on Sunday. The fillies had progressed the best, so Sierra (along with Salima, the other Lutin Malin filly) will stay but Superbowl (along with Seul, the full brother to Querido) will go the sales at the end of the month. (Rosario with them.)
David reports that Porto is jumping out of his skin and that Orlando is trotting perfectly for the moment. No need to say that everything is crossed. (Nov 18 will hopefully be D day.)

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Every good horse deserves favour.. and a little rest! After 10 starts in 17 weeks and 45,300 euros in gains Porto will take it easy for a while before being got ready for a nice ALJ-AUTO race (2150m) at Argentan on October 26th. He should be on the front line having 76,420 in gains with a limit of 78,000. But it's a long way off and anything may happen (and often does in trotting!)
Attention switches to Sierra, who may be off to the qualifiers by the end of the month as the first of the stable 2yos.

PORTO en trombe - deuxieme

Another super race by Porto and DMH. As was very predictable drawing number 1 left him with the task of extracting himself and he only got clear with 100m to go but then flew home down the outside for second - en trombe (like a whirlwind) according to the ZE commentary and Paris-Turf. Robin had discovered the ZE site (Malta-based) which gives streaming text commentary of the above sort on selected non-PMU race meetings in France - and bets on them too (presumably at PMH odds). Porto's race is here, scroll down for the commentary. (click at top right to turn into French or German.)It may disappear at some point of course.
So Monday evening I can follow Marion's progress with Prince Djo at La Croise-Laroche(about 1745BST), even though it is not a PMU meeting.. and bet if I were to set up an account with ZE (3rd favourite according to ZE experts). Better not.... But isn't it time the PMU allowed people to do this?

A Big Day in the family

Twin grand-daughters Alice and Mia setting off to School on their first day... unaware and unconcerned (thank goodness) that Porto has drawn 1 at Amiens on Saturday evening

Porto again.. avec brio! and avec moi!

Same track as last week (it's a few kms from the Mont St Michel) but a very different race. Again for Apprentis-Lad Jockeys but Porto was now off 25m with a tape (elastique) start, in which he hasn't always been smartly away. So I didn't fancy the 3 to 1 on offer (compared with 9 last week) but the team were surprisingly optimistic even though the track was slush after heavy and continuing rain (reflected in the times on the day). The 3s looked very short when DMH couldn't get him near the front quickly (even though he went away well this time) and even shorter (to me) when he pulled out from the rear and came 3 wide down the home straight with a round to go. But Porto stayed out there round the turn... stayed out there down the back... stayed out there through the final turn putting the two inside leaders under increasing pressure... and actually came away in the straight to win by about 4 lengths - with brio according to Paris-Turf and without having a hard race, which is in many ways the best news of all. David said afterwards that the going was actually better 3 wide on this heavily cambered track, which was why he went there. So I finally got to see Porto win and break the curse I was starting think I had on my horses. It was a landmark for DMH being his 10th win in the sulky. He can now drive in many more races, including ones for 2yos. Many congratulations, David, especially on getting out of sick bed to triumph.

Next outing for Porto will probably be 6 September at Amiens... autostart, but this time it's an ordinary race so David will be up against mainly Professionels (50 or more wins). The draw will be crucial.

All in all a super visit (exquisite rabbit Teresa!) during which Marion worked SUPERBOWL in the forest and SIERRA on the track. Both continue to promise but patientez is the word with growing 2yos.

PORTO wins!

DMH drove the perfect race! Porto started best from 7 and led for about 500 before handing up to the Dubois, then received the perfect trail until coming out round the turn into the straight, timing his finishing run to perfection to win by three quarters of a length. David didn't solicit Porto in any way and won fairly comfortably, despite the margin. 'Le couleurs anglais de Jack Dowie' victorious on Equidia... again! Bubbly on Jeudi Marion svp!

Porto pleases at 90/1

David being incapacitated the senior driver of the stable took charge of Porto for the first time this year at Enghien and off 25 metres he finished a very satisfactory 6th (3rd fastest km rate, because three of those in front of him were off the limit). Much better than the odds of 90/1 suggested!
As Paris Turf saw it:
Sur une cinquième ligne, à la corde, à un tour du but, n'a jamais été en mesure de se rapprocher utilement ; a gagné un rang après enquête.

He now heads for Mont St Michel on the 17th for an Apprentis autostart, where he will be off the front line, so fingers crossed that David will have recovered. (Mont St Michel is the track where my second horse Green des Baux, now being ridden by Thembi in Hastings - after periods in Manchester and Mayenne - won as a two year old, driven by Bernard.)

SUPERBOWL joins the ecurie

Remember Quick d'Avignere (the Coktail Jet) being sold last year. Well, he has been reincarnated as SUPERBOWL DES BAUX. By Eclat de la Crau (sire of Snowball) out of Milady des Baux he has the late great Super Bowl on both sides of his pedigree and is therefore a quite unusual Trotteur Francais.

Milady was a very good race mare and you will recall that I was presented with a share in her recent lovely foal by Orlando as a reward for his services. This fellow will be called Utopique (you will see why if you look at Milady's pedigree above) and I have decided on Ulena for Festina's filly and United for Moonlight's colt. Mon dieu....I have lost count again!

a wonderful week- whisky galore!

A highly enjoyable week in all senses even if PORTO faced an impossible task off 25 metres at Graignes. David decided to send him forward down the back first time but the Bigeon favourite off the front was not going to give up the lead and while he was able to get into the 1-1 the effort told and David rightly did not persist. He has had seven races in a short time and is due for a little rest.
I was able to see both Sierra and Snowball work. Sierra is still giving out very promising signs but is still growing and won't be hurried.


We don't know much about Snowball. He could be anything but the boys are several weeks behind the girls and this was his first time in the cart since being gelded. Affectionately known as P... in the A.... because of his earlier antics in the sulky he actually behaved reasonably well on this occasion. He's a big solid horse and is possibly a monte type.


The week focused on the baptism of David and Celine's daughters, Clara and Olivia, and I highly recommend Kurt's only slightly censored account of the celebrations surrounding this event. Merci Teresa, Pauline, Marion, John, David and Laura for immense hospitality (not to mention a batch of rock cakes to bring back to London!). I was captured in a reasonable state at some point during the 36 hours of partying, though I'm not sure what liquid has got into the champagne glass.

Ups and downs... and ups

After a successful afternoon at the local Francheville track on Sunday - Kurt seeing DMH drive Prince des Baux to victory on his first French racing this trip and taking an excellent photo - we headed off to Amiens on Bastille Day with hopes for Porto and the anxious excitement of Orlando's return.
PORTO did a good race and returned his usual time; but the other apprentis/lad-jockeys had decided he wouldn't be allowed to get to the front this time and he ended up fifth, without being punished when it was clear that it wasn't his day. Out again on Saturday at Graignes off 25 metres.

ORLANDO was definitely the most impressive looking horse in the field, but the warm-up - head pic shows David conferring with Marion, who is wearing Laura's colours because I only have one set! - confirmed he is not trotting 100%. In the race the commissaires disqualified him after only 500 metres, a bit severe in our opinion. He followed the field easily and clearly has the fitness and ability to do something if we can solve the joint problem. So it was disappointing but this is not the time to quit!
The disappointments were quickly assuaged chez hue with champagne won by Porto at Chalons (opened in spectactular fashion by Laura, recently back from New Zealand!)and a lovely dinner in the open air.

The worst way to lose?

Everything goes perfectly. Smartly out of the gate (the favourite and main danger put out of the race immediately in a mess behind) moves to the lead after 500 metres and accelerates clear down the back (the other danger galloping in the attempt to keep up), six lengths clear into the straight and under no pressure ('you can put away your glasses'), then... catastrophe!.. without warning he gallops. No real idea why. Not fatigue because he would hardly blow out a candle out after the race. He has done it before last year with Marion so there is something to be worked out for next time... at Amiens on Bastille Day probably. I'll be there with Kurt!

PORTO third at Croise Laroche

A comfortable third after starting well from 4 and leading most of way... might have been first, but third left him with 49,070 in winnings and therefore eligible for a nice race at Lisieux on Friday (2100m autostart, apprentis, 10,000 to winner, up to 50,000 winnings). Raurelia (Coktail Jet-Belga D'Avignere) won her race very impressively. Marion took the gamble of racing her inside to reduce her pulling. It looked as if the bet was not going to pay off at the turn into the straight, but the horse on the outside broke just when needed and she was able to get clear and utilise her explosive 200m sprint. Much more to come from this one

Here's the very nice pro pic of Porto and DMH winning at Chalons

The day the music died

21 June 2007
The day of Hilary's accident...

One of countless wonderful moments - Versailles Hall of Mirrors Dinner World Trotting Conference 1993

1.14.7 : the dream begins

Orlando was the star at Grosbois this morning, requalifying at a km rate of 1.14.7 (just under 2 minutes mile rate) without being pushed and on a track that was one second off according to experts! So at the end of a difficult week settling up, clearing and and vacating La Grande Metairie; we finally allowed ourselves a small dream about his future (well lubricated by champagnne and 'Remy Rouge'). Tomorrow to Enghien with Prince Djo and Monday to La Croise Laroche near Lille where Porto has drawn 4 ..... from whence I will Eurotunnel home late that evening.

PORTO and DMH win again

The leading French driver for some is JMB (gee-em-bay) Jean-Michel Bazire, but for me it is the up and coming DMH (day-em-arsh), David-Marion Hue, who followed up his easy win at Chalons behind Porto with another success at Vire. According to reports he had to ask Porto to work in the straight after being briefly headed, but the response was quick and effective. A big congratulations to David for his driving and preparation. June 23 at La Croise Laroche could be his next race. Winning definitely isn't everything but it sure is nice!!!

Unfortunately the switch to Vire on Monday meant I couldn't see the victory but a fabulous weekend , built around Marion's sister Brigitte's 50th birthday party - merci beaucoup Teresa and others for all the gorgeous food - included seeing Orlando have a serious workout on the track. He looks great and is obviously enjoying his dual role. There are four more mares awaiting his favours in the coming days because Bernard and Marion have decided to put all their mares to him. It's a repeat of last years's big gamble, but he has all the qualities one would want in a stallion so all we can do is hope they can perform like him. Sadly, one of his nicest (out of Naomi des Baux by Coktail Jet) died of an infection (snake bite??) just before the weekend, but the others are looking great (to my eye). My two by Modern Jazz have grown quickly and look much more impressive now. And Festina and Polina have both scanned in foal to Gros Grain.

PORTO wins ORLANDO requalifies

No dry eyes!

Almost unbelievable but truly wonderful. Vicki's first two runners as trainer were Torias Secret (top) and Uroc Amy at Timaru. And both won! And they won in similar fashion, coming to snatch victory on the line in very close finishes. See a writeup of this happy sad occasion here.

PORTO's super re-entry

Off the track for over 8 months Porto produced a wonderful performance to be second to the hot favourite and impressive last start winner. He started very well from 2 on the gate and led into the straight. Well done David - I hope he give us all lots more fun and success in the coming months.

Taking Stock

First runner in 2008 will be Porto at La Capelle on Thursday 8 May. David is to drive from position 2 in a 2700m autostart.

It's time to take stock of the ecurie, since I keep being asked how many horses I have an interest in and I don't know the exact answer myself any more!

Broodmares
Festina des Baux (Hetre Vert-Quortina-Borgia III)
Moonlight des Baux (Big Prestige-Festina des Baux) not being bred again
Polina des Baux (Jasmine de Flore-Festina des Baux)

In training
Orlando des Baux (6yo m. Ideal de l'Iton-Festina des Baux)
Porto de Bootz (5yo h. Caballio in Blue-Star de la Chaise-Janus de Crille)
Perfect Dream (5yo m. I am the Best-Java Dream-Blue Dream) [(with Bill Green]
Sierra des Baux (2yo f. Lutin Malin-Festina des Baux)
Snowball des Baux (2yo h. Eclat de la Crau-Moonlight des Baux)
Dutchess (2yo f. Monarchy-Sunvette-Sundon) [in New Zealand]

In field
Tina des Baux (1yo f. Ideal de l'Iton-Festina des Baux)
Twilight des Baux (1yo f. Ideal de l'Iton-Moonlight des Baux)
U........ des Baux (f. Modern Jazz-Festina des Baux)
United des Baux (m. Modern Jazz-Moonlight des Baux)
U........ des Baux (m. Orlando des Baux-Milady des Baux)

'In preparation'
........... (Love You-La Grande Duchesse-Sundon) [in New Zealand, due Nov]
........... (Love You-Gwen-Gee Whiz II) [in New Zealand, due Nov]
V........ des Baux (Gros Grain-Festina des Baux)
V........ des baux (Gros Grain-Polina des Baux)

Post script (for those who are wondering about the Qs and Rs.)
Quick d'Avignere (qualified, sold). Quiwi (qualified, but developed a deformed foot), Rosa (lacked ability), and Rosko (couldn't qualify) all 3 went 'elsewhere'.

Festina's 7th girl

Smallish, like Moonlight's colt also by Modern Jazz, but plenty of life. Festina and Polina will be served by Gros Grain this year... a tough performer representing a Speedy Crown-Nevele Pride cross

Les trois generations

A mixed day on Tuesday at Les Baux, overshadowed completely of course by the news from New Zealand. The downside in the afternoon was Rosko failing to take his last chance to convince Marion it was worth taking him to Grosbois for a fourth attempt to qualify. He simply becomes uncontrollable and actually dangerous when asked for a serious effort at the trot, so he must go 'elsewhere'. The upside was in the morning when I was able to see the 3 generations of Hue taking 3 generations of horse (Orlando, Porto and Quitus) to work on the cinder straight line that Marion has laid down in a nearby forest. A great sight line astern on the road to the forest - all 3 chestnuts (the horses that is!) In the pics Bernard is always leading with Quitus, Marion is in the middle with Orlando and David behind with Porto. Quitus races at Enghien on Monday 28 and Porto should re-enter at Bernay on May 11 in an Apprentis Professionnel race with David driving and thereby getting 25 meters advance. And Orlando... still completely sound as far as we can see... needs about a month more work. No hurry!