The Trevor Rogers-trained filly Madame Du Gast made a winning debut at Flemington on Friday to credit her sire De Gaulle with his first winner and provide a timely update for a full-sister heading to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
With in-form apprentice Matthew Cartwright in the saddle, Madame Du Gast powered home down the outside of the track in the 1000m maiden down the straight to defeat the heavily backed Nicconi gelding Elite Icon by three-quarters of a length with the Fighting Sun gelding Silly Salmon the same distance back in third.
“I’d like to thank Zac Spain who has done a lot of work in educating her. He was very confident about her chances today it’s just a pity he wasn’t involved in the rapid series,” Rogers said.
“The young fella (Cartwright) had a good conversation with Zac who filled him in about the filly.
“From the first time Zac rode her in a jumpout he came back and said this is special.
“Richard (Anderson) is over the moon. He bred the horse, has the stallion, got the mare, and has a full-sister getting ready to go to the sales, so it’s win, win everywhere.
“There is plenty of improvement. As you could see coming down the straight, she still had her head to the side. She was not sure what to do and she is still a baby.
“She is a straightforward horse – does well and is very tough, so we will let her tell us where we go from here.
Owner/breeder Richard Anderson could not hide his delight.
“That is the first winner by our stallion De Gaulle so for all those people that supported him, I thank you,” Anderson enthused.
Bred by Anderson’s Quilly Park, Madame Du Gast is the first winner for the talented Special Bond mare Tremolo.
A winner at Caulfield and Kilmore for Rogers, Tremolo’s breeding career has been tale of woe.
She had her first foal in 2011 and her next live foal was Madame Du Gast in 2018.
Her third live foal, a sister to Madame Du Gast is in the Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (lot 701).
Madame Du Gast comes from the first crop of 16 foals by the unraced Exceed And Excel stallion De Gaulle.
The Bombora Downs resident is a half-brother to the Group 1 ATC Golden Slipper heroine Estijaab (Snitzel) out of the Group 1 MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Group 1 Robert Sangster Classic winner Response (Charge Forward).
Da Gaulle stands alongside the promising Dandino, Warhorse, Jungle Ruler and Frankel My Dear at Bombora Downs where his 2021 fee was $5,500.
