The Flat racing comes thick and fast as we roll on to day 2 of the meeting at Cagnes-Sur-Mer. Monday saw the first flat turf races of the year in Europe and each of the 3-year-old maidens went the way of Jean-Claude Rouget. Whilst the feature race, the Seranon Stakes (C2) went the way of PAO ALTO, who rewarded his long suffering backers with a first win since May 2020. Day 2 sees another competitive card and in terms of 2022 prospects, there is just 1 horse who really stands out.
MUNTJAC (10:50)
3-year-old Colt - trained by Jean-Claude Rouget
H.H. CHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN KHALIFA AL THANI
Kitten’s Joy x Time Being (Zamindar)
Yes, I know it’s the second Rouget horse I have highlighted in as many days, but this really is the time of year when the yard thrives as they take advantage of the local facilities at Pau and Cagnes-Sur-Mer and they won 2 of the 3 maiden races run here on Monday. MUNTJAC finished 4th on debut at Lyon La Soie in October, a race that has worked out very nicely with both the winner and 3rd winning on their next starts. That was a fair start to his career and it was no surprise to see him sent off 7/4 favourite for his 2nd start at Deauville in November. He travelled strongly in a prominent position, but had the misfortune to bump into Waldstar, a half-brother to Masked Marvel and one of the leading hopes for Andre Fabre in 2022. Muntjac kept on to finish 2nd despite not having the clearest run in the straight and he was the only horse who raced prominently to make the frame, so it is best to forgive that short priced defeat. He is a son of Kitten’s joy out of a Zamindar mare who won twice on the dirt in the US, so he should have no issues with the Cagnes-Sur-Mer surface and really should win this race with the minimum of fuss. He is unlikely to be a serious betting proposition for this race, but he is a horse for the tracker and a race like the Prix Policeman next month, a key 3-year-old trial, could be an ideal target for him.
Other Parts in the Cagnes-Sur-Mer Series:
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