It was a tough and brave performance by Madame Du Gast at Geelong on Friday, the lightly raced and promising chestnut back in winning form having not had the best of luck in the lead-up - doing a great job in demanding conditions.
Recording the second win of her six start career, the Trevor Rogers trained four-year-old looked to have plenty in hand winning by a length; jockey Craig Williams telling connections that if not for her losing her footing a little in the going the winning margin could've been even more impressive.
"But it was an easy win, like a trial for her," he said, "and it will give her confidence."
"She's had a bit of bad luck and her inexperience has proven costly a few times," Trevor Rogers said, "but she is getting there and we were expecting a good result today."
Aimed at the Country Mile Series, the final of which is conducted at Flemington on Oaks Day, Madame Du Gast is building a nice record - as is her sire, Quilly Park's Bombora Downs based exciting young horse De Gaulle.
Madame Du Gast is one of his three runners to have saluted at debut, her first success coming at Flemington where caller Terry Bailey declared that "she is finishing like a shot out of a gun, she's pretty smart."
Also showing plenty is the impressive Bonjour De Gaulle who displayed pace, talent and heart when saluting from the outside gate at his Cranbourne debut recently.
Challenged in the straight but fighting on strongly, the eye-catching chestnut impressed Craig Williams who noted that "he did a lot of work but he was too good for them... he has got a really nice future."
That same week Rosa's Revenge was smart easily winning at Moe. Another of the breed to show pace, she got clear late with her trainer Rachael Cunningham describing her as "a lovely filly... speedy and very tough."
Jockey Matt Chadwick was taken by the style of the win - "she was very impressive," he said, noting that she was travelling like the winner from the moment she left the gates.
Cunningham has another yet to race De Gaulle filly in the stable and likes her too - "they are both nice, compact athletic fillies who love their food - no matter what they are guaranteed to lick the bin clean!"
A winner in Macau in March, Aeroport is the fourth of De Gaulle's winners and it is well worth noting that from just 11 named foals from his debut crop, nine have made it to the track with another three featuring in the placings - including the promising Chase de Ace who at just start number two was only just beaten in a close finish at Cranbourne last week.
It has been a most encouraging start for De Gaulle off small books and Quilly Park's Richard Anderson is confident that there is so much more to come, recently purchasing a number of well related mares to continue his support of the young stallion whilst excited about the early bookings coming in.
"We already have a good number of signed contracts and we are excited to be supporting him with our best mares."
Delighted with the quality of foal De Gaulle sires, Anderson noted that "he is the sort of horse who is getting the best out of the mares he serves - he ignites their best qualities."
De Gaulle, who stands at an imposing 16hh, did not - due to early injury - get to show us just what he was made of on the track but the Peter & Paul Snowden trained colt did display plenty of promise at the trials.
And his pedigree is hard to fault; his dam being the dual Gr.1 winner Response - dam of the Golden Slipper winner Estijaab. And he is by the mighty Exceed And Excel who only last weekend was represented by his 200th individual stakes winner, placing him in elite company.
Boasting outstanding fertility, De Gaulle is a horse who really catches the eye... "he is magnificent," Anderson enthused, adding that everyone who has visited the imposing eight-year-old is taken by his presence.
"He is an absolute gentleman," he said, recalling the day of a photo shoot when a nearby horse got loose... "De Gaulle did not bat an eyelid."
"And when the camera starts clicking he really shows off, he knows he is good!"
For further details on De Gaulle, an ideal VOBIS horse who stands at a fee of $5500 (incl gst) contact Richard Anderson on 0412 560 051.
