Rapsodie du Desert confirmed her good St. Cloud performance in Deauville yesterday, running third and getting beat just a half length in a handicap. She lost second by the smallest of nostrils, while the winner came too quick on the outside. She fought on well, and showed that St. Cloud wasn’t just a flash in the pan and that she can be useful in this category. Skid and George (Email Exit) also ran well but were in too tough company. Skid was in a lady jockey’s race and just didn’t have the kick to finish at 1,500 meters. The distance might have been about 100 meters too long for him. He was strangely calm for all of the proceedings; he didn’t sweat up behind the gate, and even jumped out a bit slowly – which I prefer to the nervous bolting off he’s shown us up until now. All in all it was a good lesson for him and an easy race (lady jockey/caveliere races usually are). He will probably run one more for us before heading down south to join David Henderson’s yard, where he can be turned out to help his dust allergies. George, meanwhile, ran very well in much, much tougher company than he found in his claimer at Longchamp. I was hoping for a fourth, but we missed that by a length. He has grown out quite a bit physically since Longchamp, and Mathias Sautjeau, who rode him in both races, was very happy with him. He was well into his stride, relaxed in his breathing and tried hard to close in the stretch. He will now drop down in category to a small handicap or claimer and he should definitely make money there. All three came home well.
Meanwhile, we welcome the latest addition to the yard, Piccolo Blue, a three-year-old Piccolo filly I bought at the sales. She is the full sister to Pickett, a nice Group 3-placed sprinter who also won in Hong Kong, and to Armstrong, who has won in Greece. She has run three time in England, badly, but she is nicely built and I think I can do something with her here. In any case, she fits the pattern: She has a nice paper and is physically correct, and I only paid 1,200 guineas for her. I’m hoping she follows the path of Turfani and the others that have come through the Newmarket sale. Watch this space…