It’s been a very busy couple of days of racing here, with DerringBay and Rapsodie du Desert at St. Cloud yesterday and Timelord and Versaki at Longchamp today. Nothing went as I expected, but we came home with good results nonetheless. DerringBay didn’t fire on the quick track at St. Cloud, and I will now retire him while he is still sound. Anybody looking for a nice-looking riding horse capable of doing anything from trail riding to show jumping, he’s your guy. Rapsodie, on the other hand, ran a huge race and finished 2nd in her field of 18, her best performace since she was two years old (she’s now five). She really surprised me, and she ran with a lot of heart, so we will continue with her. At Longchamp today, Timelord ran a great race to get up for third, thanks to Christophe Lemaire who did not give up in the stretch. Versaki, on the other hand, got a lazy ride from Theirry Jarnet. Versaki doesn’t get out of the gate well, and with the No. 3 hole at a mile, he needed to move a little quicker earlier. That said, Jarnet barely moved on the horse, and he closed nicely when finally given the chance near the finishing post. He has plenty in the tank, and should be well-placed his next time out. We’ve been frustrated with him twice now and I know he can do better.
Tomorrow is the French Derby, and while we have no runners at Chantilly, we will cheer on our friend Jean-Paul Gallorini’s two in the big race. Both need softer ground to run their best, but we’ll be there to encourage them nonetheless. Next up for us is Turfani on Wednesday at St. Cloud, then Skid Solo Thursday in Maisons-Laffitte.
Congratulations on your second and third finishes.
Congrats Gina and Seb! Boy, it looks like you are racing almost daily. Keep up the good work! In one month since his retirement race (finished a close second) Major has become FAT. …..and he’s loving it!