Beau Quali (Fr)
4YO Gelding
Beaumec de Houelle x Qualita (Konigstiger). 6th Foal. Half-brother to 5 winners including Listed Flat winner Qualisaga and hurdles/chase winners Qualibega, Qualismart, Prince Quali (Robert Walford) and Quali Dancer. Dam an unraced half-sister to Balmoral handicap winner, Sharja Bridge.
Beaumec de Houelle a G1 winning juvenile hurdler (Prix Cambaceres), Sire of 11 winners over hurdles in France (27% SR, 11/40). Konigstiger (small sample) 66% SR over hurdles as a DamSire (6/9) 60% SR with own progeny over hurdles (3/5).
Breeder: Mme. N Malatier
Transfer Details: David Cottin > Dan Skelton, Mrs Susan Carsberg.
Form:
Notes:
NH Bred. Made his debut in a Class 3 event at Lyon Parilly in March. Sent off at 8.4 PMU (4th in betting). Settled in mid-division after a couple of slow and slightly high jumps in the opening few furlongs. He was 6-lengths behind the leader at halfway, but closed between horses as the field approached the 2nd last. Both Beau Quali and the eventuall winner Kikounette were inconvenienced by a faller at the 2nd last, though the winner had to do more to avoid a collision. Jumped the last within a length when slightly awkward over the obstacle. Kept on but no match for the winner who was receiving 3-kilos and had the stands side rail to help. Pleasing debut.
Adam's thoughts:
A horse worth chancing on his pedigree alone. Qualita has proven herself to be an excellent broodmare, producing consistent progeny in both codes. Beau Quali is related to several talented hurdlers and his Sire, Beaumec de Houelle, is one of the leading lights to emerge on to the National Hunt scene in France. It surely won't be long before his €6,000 fee looks like a bargain. It is easy enough to pick holes in the form of the race from Lyon in March, the winner has been fairly beaten in a pair of races at Auteuil, albeit in a higher grade, and the horses directly behind Beau Quali are yet to win. In fact, only Bulie, who came down when leading at the 2nd last in this race, has managed to win a race since and that victory came in a low grade contest at Nimes. However, in early March, it is no surprise to see that a 4-year-old hurdle at Lyon is slightly weaker than similar races run at Auteuil or Compiegne and it may well have been David Cottin's intention to find an easier debut assignment for his charge.
His jumping was a little slow at times and he gave his obstacles plenty of air, but his general technique looked sound and he should have learned plenty from this experience. I particularly liked the way he came between horses around the home turn to make his challenge and he showed a good attitude after the last to run all the way through the line to finish 2nd. Is he a horse for the Spring festivals? Well, probably not. However, he is from a consistent family that know how to win races and he should provide his new connections with some success in his novice campaign. I have him running to around a mark of 116 on debut, so it is not unreasonable to think that he will win a novice hurdle this season and with a reasonable amount of improvement to come, he should end the season on or around a mark in the low 130s. Dan Skeltons ability to find handicaps for his hurdlers is second-to-none in the UK and so once Beau Quali has his opening mark, there may well be a decent pot for him to target at the end of the campaign.
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