Prince De Beauchene

Prince De Beauchene was an impressive winner of the new Daffodil Chase at Haydock on Saturday. The French bred gelding was held up just behind the leaders by Brian Hughes behind a decent pace set by Salut Flo. Towards the inside for the first half of the race, but moved out for more racing room when they went down the back straight second time, he jumped well throughout and moved up to join the leaders as they approached the home turn. Salut Flo was going well in front at that stage as the others began to come under pressure and it quickly developed into a two-horse race. Hughes began to ask Prince De Beauchene for an effort at the fourth last as Salut Flo still travelled nicely in front, but he responded well and joined Salut Flo at the third last. The two were neck and neck from there until Prince De Beauchene began to get the upper hand on the run to the last. A good jump there sealed it for him, and he went on to win by over three lengths from Salut Flo, with 24 lengths back to Mr McGoldrick in third.

This was a really sound effort from Prince De Beauchene, it was a titanic tussle up the straight and it was to his immense credit that he eventually got the better of the progressive Salut Flo. This was a decent field of handicappers - this is a new race and the prize money was good - but the front two were miles superior to everything else. Salut Flo was up 14lb for winning on his last run, his UK debut, and he remains really progressive and a really exciting prospect, a mere five-year-old, so it was a fine achievement by Prince De Beauchene to beat him as he did.

Prince De Beauchene is only seven and has raced just six times over fences in his life. He had run really well for a long way in the Peter Marsh Chase on his previous run, but the three-mile trip on heavy ground just proved to be beyond him. The drop down in trip to two and a half miles here was a big help. He has done nearly all his racing on testing ground, being a French-bred he handles it well. The handicapper has raised him 8lb for this, which brings him up to a mark of 140, which almost certainly still under-estimates his ability. Two and a half miles is probably his optimum trip, and there are plenty of big races he can be aimed at next year run over that distance.

3rd April 2010

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