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!

Tragic News

Laura phoned us this morning (Wednesday) at chez Hue to tell us that Peter (Cowan) died yesterday, it seems from a heart complication a little while after having been kicked in the chest by a recently weaned foal. It is unbelievable, as I know only to well these events are, and our thoughts are with Vicki and Thomas who have lost a wonderful person, as have all his friends and acquaintances, even brief ones like myself.
Story link

The way of all flesh

Moonlight's last foal, United, is naked as the day that he was born. And here is my respected trainer getting close to it in wishing cousin Florence Happy 40th Birthday at a surprise party I was privileged to attend. (Pity about the socks.) The evening confirmed my erroneous belief that my French improves proportionately to the amount of red wine ("Remy rouge") consumed.



Yes, Moonlight has had a fair chance and not produced anything which would justify continuing. We think the Big Prestige temperament is the culprit. So Polina replaces her as number 2 broodmare.

Orlando and Porto are ever close to the racetrack. Orlando has to requalify if he doesn't race within a year of his last start (26 May 2007 at Enghein) so it may well be before then, but he must be really ready - and if he couldn't requalify easily there would be no point in keeping going with him so that's not a good reason to rush.

Raurelia (the 3yo sister to Marion du Fanil) ran an excellent race for second this afternoon on the grass at Ranes (pronounced Ran),which conveniently for me was not far off the route from Les Baux to Mayenne.

United des Baux

About time to catch up. The main news is that Moonlight has given us another boy (that makes it 3 out of 4)- much smaller thank goodness than her previous colts (Rosko and Snowball), but very nice according to Marion By Modern Jazz, as will be Festina's upcoming baby. United des Baux sounds a good name for him - can be Man U or West Ham U depending on one's tastes.
Rosko will hopefully qualify in the near future and Snowball will become Noball in the effort to get him to progress in the right direction! Meanwhile Orlando has fathered yet another colt (4 out of 5, even bigger and better I'm told. From Ivana du Seuil, the mother of Quitus, and very French as her pedigree shows.


Quitus is proving a little frustrating,since he clearly has lots of ability and was coming to finish second (at least) at Vincennes last weekend before galloping when Marion pulled the earplugs on the turn. Next time .. he won't be at 89/1 I suspect.
Meanwhile, Down Under, Laura has recorded a very impressive kilometre rate by bungee jumping in Queenstown during a trip round the South Island with Peter and Vicki (and Thomas I assume!) She promises the video will be available and I will put it up here if I can. Tom (Trotupastorm) got to the front in the 4yo Championship, was (unwisely) relaxed by Mark Jones... and broke... the target is now the Jewels at Cambridge on May 31.

3 colts with great paper

Kalima has now produced an even bigger colt foal by Orlando so we couldn't have hoped for a better beginning to his first crop. The pedigrees for the 3 mares show the wide variety of franco-american crosses that these foals reflect so he is being given every chance!

a wonderful visit

On Saturday Marion worked all of the nine 2yo fillies in the race cart for the first time, including Sierra (Festina), who did it nicely finishing with a quarter at 34. She must progress, but all the signs are favourable at the moment. The colts are 3-4 weeks behind. Snowball (Moonlight) is not in the same class but we will see later how far he can go.

Then I joined Marion and Teresa for a superb meal over the road with Bernard and Francoise (merci beaucoup Francoise!). The TV by the table was showing the webcam picture from the stable where Milady (Classic Rodney) was about to deliver the third foal by Orlando (Olda had produced a powerful looking colt two days before, to follow up the filly by Her Majesty.) I had a special interest in this one because I had been generously given a third share in it. We had eventually to leave because these things are very uncertain, but we had hardly got upstairs when the call came and we were there to see the birth. Another boy and even bigger... so Orlando has had three very satisfactory babies so far. Pic 1 is at one minute, pic 2 at 11 hours the next day. (Orlando is looking terriifc by the way and has been jogging for two months and it is a matter of patientez, patientez.. we must give him another chance.)

Latest pics

Sierra des Baux working well 6 March 2008... we dream on...

Orlando's first at sixteen days (6 march)... tres jolie!