Sauvignon (Fr)
3YO Gelding
Inns of Court x Salicorne (Aragorne)
€27,000 yearling at Arqana 2021. 6th Foal. Half-brother to 5 winners including G1 Prix du Moulin winner Sauterne (Cottier). Dam unraced half-sister to US G1 winner Stacelita. Grand-Dam German Listed winner as a 2YO.
Inns of Court only runner over hurdles (that I could find). Aragorn 50% SR as a DamSire over hurdles (1/2 2/6). 0/2 with direct progeny.
Breeder: Mme. L. Lemiere Dubois
Transfer Details: Mathieu Pitart > Paul Nicholls, Mrs Johnny de la Hey.
Form:
Notes:
Flat bred. Unraced on the Flat and sent straight over hurdles at Lyon Parilly by connections who won the same race 12-months ago (Advice). Debut run became a sprint from the 2nd last, which clearly suited, though the runner-up has been disappointing in 2 starts since. Bon Prince finished 3rd that day and has won a Class 2 hurdle at La Teste since. He improved for better ground, but has reached a rating of 62-kilos (124 BHA) to bring some solidity to the debut form. Built on promising debut when 2nd to Apollon du Luy at Auteuil in May when outstayed by the winner. Fou de Toi (3rd) has subsequently been sold to join Willie Mullins. Ended French career with a fine Listed win in the Prix Stanley at Auteuil in June, rallying well after the last (had stands rail to help). Should be noted that 3rd placed Rooster Crowing (OR 69kg 138 BHA) was conceding 3-kilos all round and shapes like a greater stamina test is needed. Runner-up Sony Bill subsequently sold for €200k at Arqana in July. Leaves France with an official rating of 69-kilos, the equivalent of 138 BHA.
Adam's thoughts:
There are unlikely to be too many half-brothers to Prix du Moulin winners heading over hurdles in the coming years, but there is much more to like about Sauvignon than his headline grabbing pedigree. It is important to highlight that the Dubois operation excel at placing their horses in the right races and so even with the impressive feat of his Kingman half-sister Sauterne, it is no surprise to see that a plan was made for Sauvignon and his connections stuck to it.
I must admit to being slightly sceptical of his debut win at Lyon-Parilly in April. The form looked open to question and there is no doubt that the slow early pace and the sprint from the 2nd last played to his Flat-bred speed. However, he took the rise in class at Auteuil in his stride and I am more than happy to forgive his defeat there in May, when the tacky ground and strong gallop left him vulnerable to a horse who will almost certainly stay much further in time. I have no doubt that if they met again, Sauvignon would prove to be a better horse than Apollon du Luy.
He proved that point when producing a battling display to get the better of Sony Bill in the Prix Stanley and whilst I think that the French handicapper has been a little over zealous with an opening assessment of 69-kilos (138), I don't have him too far off the mark. Perhaps more importantly, he has found at least 7lbs of improvement between each start and there is undoubtedly more to come. He is a Listed winner and he has already amassed €67,850 in prize-money, which will make him slightly harder to place, but given his experience, it would be no surprise to see him pitched straight into graded company rather than shouldering a big penalty in a run-of-the-mill Juvenile hurdle. However, given the experience that he has already gained in France with the Pitart team, that should be no concern.
My final positive note is his move to join Paul Nicholls. We all know that Nicholls can train a top juvenile, especially one sourced from France, but there is more to it these days. Had Sauvignon gone to Ireland to join "you-know-who", he would have one of 15 top prospects in the yard and would have had to compete accordingly. Instead he has joined a top British yard where he looks likely to be the leading juvenile hurdler and that should give him the best possible chance of showing what he can do. There may be one or two other sets of connections who would make similar claims, but I believe Sauvignon to be the best Juvenile hurdler to have joined a British yard this Summer and I expect him to prove it, at least until the Irish turn up in the Spring.
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