Fou De Toi
3YO Gelding
Motivator x Finella (Kingsalsa). Full-brother to Irish NHF winner Follow the Brave (WP Mullins). Dam unraced half-sister to French G1 winning hurdler For Fun and winning French Chaser Flagstaff.
Motivator 48% WR with progeny over Jumps (Pentland Hills, Stormy Ireland, Buzz). Kingsalsa 52% WR with progeny over obstacles, DamSire to Sizing Pottsie and We Have a Dream.
Breeder: Haras du Quesnay
Transfer Details: Donatien Sourdeau de Beauregard > Willie Mullins, Mrs J Donnelly
Form:
Notes:
Solid debut. Sent off 8.3 PMU against experienced rivals. Ridden patiently, slightly hampered by faller at 4th. Closed around home turn and came to stands rail, jumping the last on terms. Outstayed after the last by the eventual winner Apollon du Luy. May have finished closer with more space to run into on the rail. Slightly high knee action in the closing stages. Finished 3rd beaten 4-lengths, 6-lengths clear of 4th placed Kashs (now rated 60kg, 120).
Adam's Thoughts:
Donatien Souredeau de Beauregard has had a very profitable summer. His name appears 4 times on this years list of French recruits (Kitzbuhel, Fou de Toi, Quantock Hills, Jocata) to go with his 33 winners so far in 2024 at a 22% strike rate. Fou de Toi looks easily the best prospect that has left the yard this summer.
I'll start with the form. Fou de Toi finished 3rd in the Prix de Pouilly at Auteuil in May and the form could not be working out better. The winner, Apollon du Luy, is now rated the equivalent of 139 and won a Listed race on his return to Auteuil last week, whilst the 2nd placed Sauvignon, who has now joined Paul Nicholls, went on to win the Listed Prix Stanley on his next start. For that reason, we can assume that Fou de Toi ran to a mark of around 130 on his debut, which makes him a very exciting recruit for the Mullins team. His full-brother Follow the Brave was a Ballinrobe Bumper winner for Mullins in 2022, though it is perhaps more interesting to note that he was sent off at just 5/1 for a Punchestown Festival race on his debut for the yard earlier that season. He made only 3 starts for Mullins, but I think it is fair to argue that Fou de Toi has already run beyond that level on his debut.
I added the Prix de Pouilly to my list of races to watch earlier this week (link below) and this is obviously one of the strongest pieces of form that we saw in the spring season at Auteuil. Fou de Toi has run to a very high standard and if he is campaigned as a Juvenile, then you would have to assume that he is a horse for the graded races rather than handicaps. I say if, because this horse fits the perfect profile that the Mullins team like to recruit, ie, a promising French youngster who has shown form on the track without losing their novice status. Fou de Toi didn't win the race, which means that he has a novice hurdle status should the team at Closutton decide that they have other 3-year-old propsects in the yard and they want to give him more time. That scenario seems unlikely. The form is working out so well that the plan must surely be to aim at the best juvenile races this season and there is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the most promising horses to have joined the yard from France this year.
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