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Midlife Crisis and Cloudbridge both impress on debut
Two new two-year-olds for the notebooks this week headed by the ultra impressive first time out winner MIDLIFE CRISIS (2 c Wootton Bassett - The Hunt Is On by Manhattan Rain) who led throughout and streaked away to a five length victory over 1500 metres in a Newcomers Maiden at Deauville on Wednesday posting an impressive Timeform mark of 100p.
The son of leading stallion Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) has a strong connection to Australia in his pedigree being out of the Manhattan Rain (Encosta de Lago) mare The Hunt Is On. She is out of four-time winner Catshaan (Catrail) who produced five other winners headed by Group 1 winning pair Abbey Marie (Redoute’s Choice) and Absolutely (Redoute’s Choice) as well as Group 3 winner Runaway (Manhattan Rain). Further back this is the family of dual Grade 1 winner Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) who is one of seven winners out of the colt’s third dam Keltshaan (Pleasant Colony).
It is often hard to measure the worth of the form of these Newcomers Maidens (eligible for unraced horses only) but the overall time was good and the visual impression is that this is a horse of stakes quality. He is trained by new trainer Hiroo Shimizu who took over John Hammond’s yard when he retired.
While on Sunday at Leicester the Charlie Appleby-trained CLOUDBRIDGE (2 c Hard Spun - Peace Camp by Storm Cat)) proved far too good under Ryan Moore powering away over the seven furlong trip to score by a widening three and a quarter lengths. He was given a rating of 87p but also registered a solid Timefigure of 88. He looks certain to handle a step up to at least a mile and a switch to the all weather would not surprise for this dirt bred two-year-old.
The colt is one of two winners out of the winning Storm Cat (Storm Bird) mare Peace Camp who is herself a daughter of Group 3 winner Loving Kindness (Seattle Slew) who was placed at Group 1 level in the Prix Morny (Gr 1, 1200m). His third dam meanwhile is dual Group 1 winner Coup De Genie (Mr Prospector), a sister to Machiavellian and Ocean Of Wisdom, and the dam of four winners headed by Denebola (Storm Cat) who won the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr 1, 1600m) in 2003.
This is also the family of Group 1 winners in Senga (Blame), Emollient (Empire Maker), Bago (Nashwan) and Maxios (Monsun).
