Winter Watch: Godspeed on Road to the Classics

[Wandering Eyes]

Following a couple of notable performances in the last seven days, the time has come for a long overdue trip to France and a dive into an all-weather scene which is just as vibrant nowadays as that on this side of the Channel.

For every Notable Speech (GB) there's been an Ace Impact (Ire), who made a successful debut on the all-weather at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January 2023, before retiring at the end of that year as the unbeaten winner of the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

It was on the polytrack at Deauville that last year's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine, Rouhiya (Fr), registered her first career victory the previous November, while fellow Classic scorers Castle Lady (Ire) and Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire), as well as dual Group 1 winner Junko (GB), feature among the star names to have shed their maiden tag on the polytrack at Chantilly.

It was at the last-named venue that we witnessed perhaps the most striking display on the all-weather last week, courtesy of the Carlos and Yann Lerner-trained Godspeed (Fr), a six-length winner of the one-mile heat for unraced fillies on Friday's card.

Settled in mid-division in the early stages, the daughter of Hello Youmzain (Fr) was still hard on the bridle as the 14-strong field turned into the straight. From there she made serene progress to challenge the long-time leader entering the final furlong, before drawing right away for an effortless debut defeat of the well-touted, Juddmonte newcomer Temptable (GB) (Kingman {GB}), the second foal out of the GI Natalma Stakes heroine Capla Temptress (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

An €80,000 purchase at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, Godspeed is the fourth winner from five runners out of Listed scorer Mary's Precedent (Fr) (Storming Home {GB}), a half-sister to Lovemedo (Fr) (Zafeen {Fr}), the Listed-placed dam of the G3 Prix Cleopatre winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Crown Princesse (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). Mary's Precedent's other winners include the Listed-placed Mary's France (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}).

Last year the Lerners tasted Classic success for the first time as a training duo, with their Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega (Fr), and they're entitled to be thinking of a trial now with this filly, ahead of a potential tilt at the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. It would certainly be another feather in the cap of Hello Youmzain if she can make that step up, after the Haras d'Etreham resident was crowned the leading first-season sire in France in 2024.

 

New winner by #HelloYoumzain !

GODSPEED wins on debut by more than 6 lengths in the Prix des Gazons de Coye over 1600m at Chantilly for trainers @CYLerner ! Congratulations to everyone involved @FOhinderzerace @RonanThomass @HCadran pic.twitter.com/Nt6vuxa1Ix

— Haras d'Etreham (@Haras_d_Etreham) February 7, 2025

 

'The Little Princes' Makes Big Impression

Around 600 miles south of Chantilly at Cagnes-Sur-Mer, Les Petits Prince (Fr) was also being talked about in Classic terms after his last-to-first victory in the one-mile maiden on Monday's card, with his trainer, Nicolas Perret, reporting that the son of Bated Breath (GB) is likely to be given an entry in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

Admittedly, it probably wasn't the deepest race of its type, but the runner-up was a solid yardstick, having finished placed in each of his four previous starts. Les Petits Prince ultimately took care of that rival in relatively straightforward fashion after fluffing the start, hitting the front entering the final furlong and just needing to be kept up to his work from there to land the spoils by a length and a quarter.

Bred by Haras du Mont dit Mont, Let Petits Prince is one of three winners from six runners out of the unraced Hurricane Run (Ire) mare Hurbling (Ire), from the family of the multiple Group 1 winners Hermosa (Ire) and Hydrangea (Ire), both by Galileo (Ire). Their dam is the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene heroine Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), a half-sister to this colt's winning grandam.

The three winners out of Hurbling to date include a full-brother in Summiter (Ire), who was Group 3-placed as a three-year-old when he finished third in the Prix de Fontainebleau. That race, won in recent years by the subsequent Poulains winners Brametot (Ire) and Persian King (Ire), would look a suitable target for this colt if his connections feel like putting his Classic credentials to the test.

Either way, the €14,000 it cost to secure Les Petits Prince at the Arqana v.2 Yearling Sale already looks a very shrewd piece of business. He's also a potential flagbearer for Perret who, in just his fifth year with a licence, leads the trainers' championship in France at this very early stage with 13 winners and nearly €290,000 in total prize-money won.

 

Prix Des Issambres @hippocotdazur
Cagnes Sur Mer – Maiden – 3 ans – 1600m – 8 Pts – 23 000 €

Les Petits Princes (m) Anthony Crastus @CrastusAnthony
(Bated Breath (Gb) @JuddmonteFarms – Hurbling (Ire) par Hurricane Run (Ire))

Nicolas Perret
Ecurie… pic.twitter.com/RwX4KLd5Ve

— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) February 10, 2025

 

Powerhouse Stables Lock Horns

Back in Britain, Tony Carroll has been by far the most prolific trainer since the turn of the year, with his tally of 29 winners putting him well clear of Andrew Balding (16) and Karl Burke (13) in the podium positions.

The last-named pair have both enjoyed their fair share of success in recent days, but it was Balding who had the final say in what was arguably the most interesting race run on the all-weather in Britain last week, namely the class 2 handicap run over six furlongs at Southwell on Friday.

Burke was responsible for the 10/11 favourite in the hitherto unbeaten Rebel's Gamble (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) but, in the event, the concession of 15lb to Balding's Humam (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was simply too much on their respective handicap debuts. Humam dominated from the front and kept going well to win by a length and three-quarters from his chief market rival, who was held up before making late headway to snatch second in the final strides.

Both horses had received positive mentions in previous editions of Winter Watch and it's fair to say that they each enhanced their reputations with the way that they performed at Southwell. Humam, who opened his account in a seven-furlong maiden at Lingfield on his previous start, seems to be improving with every race and should be up to winning again from a revised mark of 86. Certainly, his pedigree is an ongoing recommendation, as a half-brother to three black-type performers, headed by the G3 Bengough Stakes and G3 Palace House Stakes winner Vadream (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}).

As for Rebel's Gamble, this was the first blemish on his record after a pair of victories at Southwell and Newcastle, but he didn't lose much in defeat from a lofty opening mark of 95. He remains one to be positive about, already not too far off the sort of level required to make him competitive in minor stakes company.

 

Baker's Dozen Up for Burke

Burke went on to saddle his 12th and 13th winners of the year with an across-the-card double in the space of around 20 minutes on Saturday, with Nordic Norm (GB) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) making a winning debut in the one-mile maiden at Newcastle, before The Watcher (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) maintained his unbeaten record with a smooth success in the seven-furlong novice at Wolverhampton.

The Middleham trainer is likely to saddle few easier winners this year than The Watcher, who simply did what was expected of him as the 1-5 favourite, ultimately winning by five lengths, having dictated a steady gallop in the early stages. He now finds himself in the same boat that stable-mate Rebel's Gamble did before his Southwell run on Friday, with handicaps now an option after he was allotted an opening mark of 89. He's clearly a promising sort, but stiffer tasks lie ahead for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's homebred, the third winner from as many runners out of an unraced Lope De Vega (Ire) mare.

As for David and Yvonne Blunt's homebred Nordic Norm, he's the first foal out of an unraced Exceed And Excel (Aus) mare. His second dam is the multiple Group 2 runner-up Fraloga (Ire) (Grand Lodge), a half-sister to a pair of Group 1 winners by Linamix (Fr) in Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud scorer Fragrant Mix (Ire) and Prix Jean Romanet heroine Alpine Rose (Fr).

The official winning margin for 10-11 favourite Nordic Norm was just a head, though he always looked like he was doing enough once hitting the front inside the final furlong. He is open to more improvement and looks a likely candidate for another novice on the all-weather if Burke wants to give him more experience before the start of the turf season.

 

Winning debut!

Nordic Norm (Saxon Warrior x Fracherette) fends off Royal runner Warrant Holder, getting the job done nicely for Sam James and @karl_burke at @NewcastleRaces… pic.twitter.com/g85DStwkub

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 8, 2025

 

Tremorgio Takes Care of Business

Of the trainers who have saddled 10 or more runners on the all-weather in Britain in 2025, seven of them have a strike rate of at least 30% at the time of writing. Burke is one of them, having saddled his 13 winners from 42 runners (31%), but you won't be surprised to hear that it's Charlie Appleby who leads the way by that metric with six winners from 12 runners (50%).

The latest winner for Appleby was Tremorgio (GB), who made it two from two for the Godolphin team when sent off the 1-7 favourite for the novice run over a mile and a half at Southwell on Friday. Admittedly, champion jockey Oisin Murphy didn't enjoy an entirely stress-free outing on the son of Dubawi (Ire), briefly facing a wall of horses entering the final two furlongs, but his mount responded well once getting clear sailing as he lengthened away to win by three and a quarter lengths under his penalty.

In truth, we probably didn't learn anything new about Tremorgio in what was a thin-looking contest, but he got the job done in a professional manner, not necessarily a given for a horse who was gelded before his debut at Newmarket in October and has now worn cheekpieces in both of his racecourse appearances to date. At Newmarket he'd been very weak in the betting, doubling in price from 9-2 to 9-1, with stable-mate Arabian Poet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) clearly expected to fare better as the 15-8 favourite.

The first foal out of the winning Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Spring Of Love (GB) who, in turn, is out of the G2 Rockfel Stakes third Desert Blossom (Ire) (Shamardal), Tremorgio almost certainly isn't one of the leading lights at Moulton Paddocks, but he should at least make up into a useful handicapper for his powerful connections. He's been given an opening mark of 89.

 

Favouritism justified!@oismurphy overcomes traffic problems aboard Tremorgio, getting the job done in the @godolphin blue for Charlie Appleby at @Southwell_Races… pic.twitter.com/glEiDk3dT9

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 7, 2025

 

More to Come from Crack On Boys

Les Petits Prince wasn't the only bargain buy to impress in recent days, with the Tom Clover-trained Crack On Boys (GB) also deserving a mention after his wide-margin victory in the one-mile maiden at Newcastle last Tuesday. The son of Cracksman (GB) went unsold at 8,000gns when first offered at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, before being purchased for €35,000 at last year's Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale.

That already screams value for the group who now own Crack On Boys, The Galivanters, as he looks a colt with the potential to give them plenty of fun days out in the coming months judged on the style of his Gosforth Park success. Held up last of the five runners in the early stages, he made smooth headway to lead entering the final furlong, before drawing right away to beat the subsequent winner, Orangesandlemons (GB) (Mayson {GB}), by four and a quarter lengths.

Beaten just a length when finishing fourth on his debut at Lingfield in December, Crack On Boys also became the third next-time-out winner to come out of that one-mile maiden, after the runner-up Solar Pass (GB) (Phoenix Reach {Ire}) and third Mdawi (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Their subsequent exploits all pay a handsome compliment to the narrow winner on the day, Baridi (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), who sprung a mild surprise at odds of 14-1 and was later bought by bloodstock agent Alessandro Marconi for 100,000gns at the Tattersalls February Sale.

What Crack On Boys is worth now is hard to know, but he's certainly bred to do better still when he steps up in trip, for all that he didn't look short of pace at Newcastle. He is a half-brother to Eagle's Foot (GB) (Free Eagle {Ire}), a dual winner over an extended two miles, while his unraced dam is a half-sister to the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange hero and Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Best Name (GB) (King's Best).

 

Winners in Waiting

Dancing Teapot (Ire), runner-up at Dundalk (November 22) since publication
Padua (Ire), seventh at Kempton (December 4) since publication
Marhaba Ghaiyyath (Ire), winner at Lingfield (December 3) since publication
Safe Idea (GB), third at Wolverhampton (December 21) since publication
Indian Springs (Ire)
Spanish Voice (GB)
Noble Horizon (GB)
Dixieland Blues (GB)
City Of God (Ire), winner at Southwell (January 17) since publication
War And Love (GB), runner-up at Chelmsford (January 11) and fifth at Newcastle (February 4) since publication
Cupola (GB)
Lady Lilac (Ire)

The post Winter Watch: Godspeed on Road to the Classics appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article