We have started this series with horses who are joining the high profile yards of Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins. As we head into the new season, those yards will continue to dominate the big races on a Saturday and the races at the highest level. However there are a lot of excellent recruits from France who head to those slightly further down the food chain and I am as interested in the horses who are more likely to run on a Tuesday afternoon. For the next horse in this series I wanted to look at a horse with a less obvious profile and there is nowhere better to do this than at Pond House. Martin Pipe was the original architect of the "French Recruit" and his method of sourcing horses from French racing, particularly in Claimers, laid the blueprint for the current process of recruitment from France. Jamaico is heading to David Pipe and will run in some famous colors which other French-bred recruits like Vieux Lion Rouge and Un Temps Pour Tout have worn so successfully in recent years.
JAMAICO (AQPS)
4-year-old gelding who has joined David Pipe for Prof. Caroline Tisdall
Breeding
Cokoriko x Velocidad (Lavrico)
Bred by J Cypres and SARL Winning Bloodstock Agency
4th Foal. Dam won an AQPS Flat Race on debut, a 5-race maiden over obstacles. Grand-Dam also won AQPS Flat race on debut, has 2 winning progeny, Grand-Dam of Herbiers (O Greenall) and Bloody Mary (Nicky Henderson).
Form
2p6h6s-3s1s
Having made his debut in an AQPS Flat race at Fontainbleau in February, his connections wasted no time in sending him over obstacles. He finished 6th on his only start over hurdles at Auteuil in March, beaten 19-lengths by Jachar (who has now switched to Tom George). That form is likely to get some airing in the UK as the 5th placed Jasperouge has also been sold and has joined Christopher Kellett. The time was 14s outside the course standard, which reads relatively well considering the tacky ground and the reading of 4,3 on the penetrometer. The winner, third and seventh have all won since, as have both horses who failed to complete on the day and in hindsight the form reads a lot better than a 19-length sixth may have seemed at the time. This was the only start that Jamaico made over hurdles for the Clayeux yard and so he remains a novice in this sphere, which may well be where he begins his career for David Pipe.
Following his hurdles run in March, Jamaico made 3 further starts for Emmanuel Clayeux, all over fences at Auteuil, eventually winning the 3rd of those starts over 3,500 meters in June. All of this form came in AQPS only races, so it does need to be treated with slight caution, but his latest run, when he produced the fastest final circuit time on the card, would certainly suggest that he is fair value for his official French rating of 62-kilos. His new connections clearly have a decision to make as to whether to run him in Novice hurdles or Novice Chases this season, but he improved with every start and there is every reason to believe that he should be capable of winning in both codes. At this early stage of his career, he looks likely to be a prospect for handicap chases rather than Graded company, but he is still lightly raced and an opening British mark of 124 should leave him very competitive for his shrewd connections, especially once the softer winter ground comes along later in the year.
Thanks Adam