It was a very nice turn of foot shown by the promising De Venus at Sale today, the Mark Webb trained four-year-old son of Bombora Downs' De Gaulle racing away to an easy win at just his third outing.
Showing glimpses of talent at his Cranbourne debut over 1200m in mid-March, the bay got back in a race not run to suit when stepping up to 1400m at Pakenham a couple of weeks later.
He stayed at that trip for his third run and with the blinkers on he was able to show enough pace to work across from his wide gate, travelling nicely outside the leader for regular rider Arron Lynch.
Quickly putting the race to bed, De Venus proved a class above his rivals in the run home, his 3 1/2 length winning margin an impressive one.
"He hit the lead very early but was strong to the line," Lynch reported.
"The way he ran through the line I think there is more in him, he is a horse of potential."
Still doing a little bit wrong, De Venus got his head up in the early stages but Lynch was happy with the progress she has shown at each start.
"He can get himself a bit worked up and we have been working on making him relax a bit more. I had to give him a dig out to cross the field and find a position and that probably fired him up a bit early - but he came back under me."
Mark Webb was delighted with the win, keen to thank De Venus owners, noting that "they have been patient with this bloke."
"He has always shown us ability and it was a good result to see him put it all together today."
"I also trained his dam - she was very good to us!"
De Venus is the fourth winner produced by the Gr.2 Stocks Stakes winning Reset mare Avienus who foaled another De Gaulle colt last spring.
A colt who already has wraps on him with breeder Richard Anderson - who stands De Gaulle at Bombora Downs - describing him as "an absolute cracker, probably her nicest foal yet."
The unraced but brilliantly bred De Gaulle - who showed talent against the best of the two-year-olds of his year in trials only to have injury bring his career to an end - is proving one of those rare commodities; a good value stallion who has the ability to upgrade his mares.
A son of the recently retired Exceed And Excel and the dual Gr.1 winning mare Response - also dam of the Gr.1 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab and last year's Gr.3 Concorde Stakes winner Remarque - does not have large representation but De Venus is his ninth winner.
Others to show plenty of talent for De Gaulle include the Flemington winner Madame du Gast and the lightly raced two times winner Prince Sonic who looked the goods winning two of his first four before struggling on rain affected going at Ballarat early this month - winning a trial in smart fashion since.
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.
