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.
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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!

A Magic Moment

Fred and Dutchess (at Motukarara where she accompanied Torias Secret, 3rd, and Niburu, 7th, for the experience). Trotupastorm won very easily and impressively at Addington the previous day and now heads for the 4yo championship on March 22nd. Pourquoi pas the way he is now racing?

Orlando's first-born

Her Majesty delivered a fine filly last night. Her fifth foal. A 'U' and since her Majesty is the product of two earlier Us 22 years have gone by since both her maternal grandparents were born. [The French don't use W, X, Y or Z]

Laura reports: Dutchess has had some gear on and so far shown very good manners. She's a speedy and very strong type of horse. The plan, if she's good enough (which she will be I think!) is to race her next May (2009) in the Sales Series races and then maybe go to Aussie for a 2 year old Australasian championship she was entered for as a foal. That will be in July. You never know " On doit rever et experer "

Indeed... and I hope Laura will be there to help make all this happen

Breaking news

Everyone fell in love with her, said Laura, so when the hammer fell at $NZ42,500 she was off to Leeston, in the ownership of Peter and Vicky Cowan, Laura Hue, Fred Dowie (his first trotter!)... and, yes, of course I had to be part of this investment...or dream to be more accurate! Laura reports that she immediately trotted beautifully in the field and will probably not need any weight...

Almost forgot to report that Querido ran an excellent second in the semi-classic at Vincennes on Saturday, rating 1.12.7... which puts him in with a good chance of a placing in the Group 1 Prix de Selection on March 1 (the Qs get 50 metres from the Ps, now a hopeless task for the latter).

Great finish by Quitus

The shamrock flies home down the long Enghien straight! Second at 41/1