A couple of maidens on the card at Toulouse today and our bet comes in the fillies’ contest (5.45pm), with Aiche De Bretel making plenty of appeal.
Aiche De Bretel made a really promising debut at Pau early last month. One of the slowest away, she was hampered early and was held up in the run on a couple of occasions as the race developed, before staying in taking fashion to finish fourth, one place behind Limoncella, who re-opposes today. All three in front of her that day had previous experience, so it was a very good effort.
Her owner/breeder James Rowsell had an Oaks winner in 2013 with Talent, whose daughter Ambition has won two Group 3s at this course for trainer Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte, as well as scoring at Group 2 level and finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet in 2020. He has had horses in this yard for the past decade, but has certainly increased the quality in the past couple of seasons and three of the last six he has had with the yard have gained black-type.
Thomas-Demeaulte has operated at a respectable 14% strike-rate for the past couple of seasons, but has a fine record here (22% and 26% last two seasons and winning-most trainer at the track in that time) and tends to run his better ones at the course.
The vast majority of his runners improve with experience and they have an excellent record second time out. All three of Rowsell’s black-type performers won their maidens here, two of them on second start.
Guillaume Guedj-Gay is on stablemate Winema, which is a slight concern, but she is on reappearance and Emilien Revolte was on Aiche De Bretel first time as well. With the pedigree and physical scope to progress, she looks set to run a big race and is worth supporting.
5.45pm Toulouse – 1pt win, 0.5pt place Aiche De Bretel @ 6-1 (Bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral, Mansionbet, 11/2 elsewhere)
