We’ve had the first 2-year-old race of 2022 and now we are quickly on to the 2nd, this time at La Teste Buch in the southwest. The Prix Raymond Guilhem is a newcomers race over 1000-metres on the straight course and has produced some decent winners in recent years. The draw here is a little more significant than it was at Lyon, especially as there is a strong bias towards the stands side rail, which is always a useful aid when dealing with inexperienced horses. The going is forecast to be soft, with a measurement of 3,6 on the penetrometer. If you’re new to this track, La Teste de Buch is situated south of Bordeaux, relatively close to the Spanish border and the track here plays host to both flat and hurdles races. The ground here tends to be quicker at this time of year than it would be at the Metropolitan tracks in the North and as a result, the turf track is likely to be ideal for these precocious juveniles and shouldn’t blunt their speed too much.
10-runners go to post, with 2 Colts and 8 Fillies taking their chance. Tactically, the track favours horses who can get a prominent position close to the stands rail. Last years winner, Ma Noire, broke well from stall 4, hit the front after a furlong and made the rest of the running along the stands rail, whilst those in behind were forced wider and unable to ever get on terms. With such a strong bias, the early speed of these juveniles could be the key.
Runners
Warrior’s Revenge
2-year-old Colt
Washington DC x Sukuma (Highest Honour)
The Marnane silks duly won the opening 2-year-old race at Lyon-Parilly on Sunday and they have another chance with Warrior’s Revenge. He is a son of first-season Sire Washington DC, who won the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot as a juvenile and looks sure to produce precocious progeny. His dam didn’t achieve a great deal in her 7-runs for Andrew Balding, but she has produced 6 winning progeny, including 4 who won as juveniles. Bred with speed in mind, he is in the right hands and could prove hard to peg back if he breaks well under Sundays winning rider Marie Velon.
Kamino
2-year-old Colt
Penny’s Picnic x Spanish Winner (Choisir)
Supplemented for this race by the Montzey yard, he is a half-brother to a couple of winners at low levels and comes from the family of several Listed winners as juveniles. The yard won this race 12-months ago with Ma Noire for the same connections. Kamino is a son of Penny’s Picnic, who won the Prix du Debut in the early season and has passed on his early speed and precocity to his progeny, this April foal must be showing up reasonably well at home for connections to supplement him here and he is one of the more interesting runners, though stall 9 would be a concern.
Night Chope
2-year-old Filly
Kheleyf x Nuit D’Ivresse (Henrythenavigator)
The 2nd runner from the Montzey team, Night Chope is bred and part-owned by Alain Chopard and is reasonably bred for a decent juvenile campaign. A daughter of Kheleyf, her grand-dam won at Listed level for Tom Dascombe and although he will probably stay further than sprint trips in time, there is enough speed in his pedigree to suggest she could make a decent start. On jockey bookings she is perhaps the stables first choice and a good draw in stall 3 could mean that she goes well for last year's winning yard.
Sabya
2-year-old Filly
Pedro the Great x Pacific Chalnetta (Planteur)
One of the most underrated Sires for speed, Pedro the Great excels with early season juveniles and Sabya looks to fit the bill. From the family of Dobby Road (3rd in the Grand Criterium to Rock of Gibraltar), she is bred to be a precocious type and it is worth noting that her dam, Pacific Chalnetta won on her debut over 5-furlongs at Wissembourg in 2017. Sabya is her first foal, but there are several juvenile winners in the immediate pedigree and with her jockey Alendro Gutierrez Val good value for his 2.5-kilo claim, she could go well.
Fa Chope
2-year-old Filly
Captain Chop x Favourably (Pivotal)
A daughter of Captain Chop, Fa Chope has a mixed bag when we look at her pedigree, with perhaps a slight preference for a longer trip than this 1,000 metre dash, even though as a January foal she is the oldest in the field. There are a few winners in the family and if we go back far enough in her pedigree we do find some decent horses, most notably Prix de Diane 3rd, Glorious Sight. With Captain Chope and Pivotal in the immediate pedigree, she should have a decent turn of foot but the suspicion is that she may be outpaced before staying on well through the line.
Ribera
2-year-old Filly
Al Wukair x Sloane De Borepair (Sevres Rose)
Time could be the key to this next Filly. Ribera is a daughter of Al Wukair and on the face of it her immediate pedigree is not overly encouraging. Her dam was a 20-race maiden who has produced 2 winning progeny, albeit at a low level. But the grand-dam La Marlia, produced Melbourne Cup and Hong Kong Vase winner Dunaden. With such a pedigree, it is likely that Ribera will need more time and distance to be seen at her best, but she is more interesting than a first glance would make her seem.
Divine Christ
2-year-old Filly
Bow Creek x Impedimanta (Aussie Rules)
A daughter of celebration mile winner Bow Creek, Divine Christ is another filly who may need a little more time before she is seen at her best. The Plisson yard are very adept at placing their horses to good effect, but with the widest draw in stall 10 she will need to show significant ability to get into a decent racing position. Her dam did win at 2, but over a mile in the November of her juvenile campaign and the majority of the winners in the family have won over much further than this trip. She is probably a longer term prospect.
Mandy
2-year-old Filly
Prince Gibraltar x Zvetka (Lawman)
Bred by Francois-Marie Cottin, Mandy is a daughter of Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Prince Gibraltar. Her dam, Zvetka, won 3 of her 11 starts for Jean-Claude Rouget, including a 2-year-old maiden winner at Royan, but she definitely needed a mile to be seen at her best. There are several winners in the family, but the one thing they all have in common is that they needed a step up in trip to be seen to best effect. Despite a good draw in stall 1, Mandy may be a horse for another day.
La Panthourie
2-year-old Filly
Birchwood x Bocca Bianca (Saddex)
Of all the runners in this race, La Panthourie is perhaps the hardest to predict. A daughter of Birchwood, her dam was a 10-race maiden and although there are a couple of winners in the immediate family, it is hard to be overly confident that she will have the speed to be involved in this race. The yard is 0-18 so far in 2022 and the percentage call is to watch her for the future.
Kaiclatholukev
2-year-old Filly
Whitecliffsofdover x Montana Moon (Hernando)
The 2nd of the runners from the Plisson yard and easily the hardest name to pronounce in the field, Kaiclatholukev comes from a family that the yard know well. They have already had success on the track with 2 of her siblings and several of the family have shown a liking for soft ground, though the 5-furlong trip would be an obvious concern. The family includes Prix du Cadran winner Molly Malone, so it is fair to say that she will probably stay further than this in time, though she could prove to be a decent prospect later in the year.
Conclusion
Any 2-year-old running in the Marnane silks needs to be respected and Warrior’s Revenge looks the part and could give them a 2nd juvenile winner this week. Though it is worth noting that whilst Bottle of Bubbles was very forwards when winning at Lyon, they did also have Texas Hold’em in that race who disappointed. The Montzey team have a good record in this race, winning it in 2021, but also having a 3rd placed finish with subsequent US Listed winner La Feve, so it is safe to assume that they target the best of their early season Juveniles at this race, with the supplemented colt Kamino making a lot of appeal. However, the jockey bookings would suggest that Night Chope is the better of the Montzey pair and she is certainly bred for Juvenile sprinting, as is Sabya, who makes the most appeal from the rest at this trip. On paper this race does look to be a good opportunity for the 2 colts in the field, but the same thing could have been said on Sunday and the fillies were able to dominate that contest because they were far more forwards. This isn’t a race to get overly excited about from a betting point of view, unless something is well supported in the market it is probably best to stay out, but I do think the 2 Colts are interesting if either is able to grab the lead, with perhaps Fa Chope one to watch up in trip next time if she is running on into a place in the closing stages.
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Juvenile Prospects
Warrior’s Revenge
Kamino
Night Chope
Sabya
Fa Chope
Longer-term Prospects
Ribera
Divine Christ
Mandy
La Panthourie
Kaiclatholukev
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