Tac De Boistron

Tac De Boistron had been hugely impressive when winning a listed race over a mile and a half at Chester on soft ground on his second run of the season and second run for Marco Botti (he had run promisingly in the March Stakes at Goodwood behind Harris Tweed on his first run back), and he ran another cracking race in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran at Longchamp on Sunday.

Stepping up in trip by a whole mile from his Chester win, he was keener than ideal through the first furlong, and he remained a little free for the next couple of furlongs. Although he settled better after that, and travelled really well the whole way, he was probably just doing a little bit too much and was trapped two or three wide throughout. He looked a likely winner when he made smooth ground into the home straight and moved up to challenge and marginally head Altano a furlong and a half out (he traded at 1.28 in-running), but he was just out-stayed by that top stayer, who had run well in both the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Gold Cup, and who was probably an under-rated horse going into the Cadran.

In finishing second, Tac De Boistron still finished six lengths clear of Times Up in third, so this was a high-class run, and he may have done even better had he been drawn lower and been able to get more cover up the inside. To travel as enthusiastically as he did the whole way and still finish second in a Group 1 over two and a half miles on soft ground marks him down as a really talented performer.

Easy ground does seem quite important to him, but he is clearly thriving for his new yard, and he could prove best back down to two miles or even a mile and three quarters on soft ground. He would be very interesting in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day if the ground is soft, which looks likely at this stage. The Prix Royal-Oak, back at Longchamp over two miles at the end of October, is another option for him. Looking further ahead, he should be a major player in all the long distance races whenever the ground is soft next season. He is a high-class stayer when he has his conditions.

6th October 2013