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Equinties - who's the daddy
BGP Capital
December 03, 2025
Gm Equinauts
Just a Wednesday in early December, but feels different:
Let’s dive in!
HEADLINE ROUNDUP
JONBON REVIVAL MISSION
The Grade 1 Tingle Creek is the feature race this weekend, and what a race it could be.
IL ETAIT TEMPS is back returning to the scene of the crime when he beat JONBON in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase last season. Finally, it feels like he’s being campaigned as a genuine Willie Mullins first team player, rather than winning Grade 1s when perhaps he wasn’t expected to?
L’EAU DU SUD is also about to try and frank the form of his demolition job in the Grade 2 Sholer Chase, and another 170 RPR performance from him would surely see him go close.
And then, as we all expected, JONBON should be the third key part of the race who comes here on a bit of a revival mission after a bad performance in the Shloer Chase of which Hendo was quite calm and measured, as he knew JONBON would need it ahead of his ultimate target this Saturday.
A bit of a market curve ball was thrown in this week when Nicky Henderson went and chucked him an entry for the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Sunday.
Henderson has warned that he’s not prepared to run JONBON in the Tingle Creek if the ground turns up desperate. There was rain at Sandown yesterday, and there is likely to be a big downpour on Friday, as well as potentially some on the race day. So, it would seem like Henderson is seriously thinking of this. Furthermore, JONBON has won twice over 2m4f at Aintree, and Henderson, in all honesty, may be lacking a bit of confidence due to this whole CONSTITUTION HILL situation.
With think JONBON will most certainly go to Sandown and that’s backed up by what JP’s racing manager Fran Berry said yesterday: “He will run in the Tingle Creek and Nicky is very happy with him.
“The ground was testing enough the last day, which wouldn’t play to his strengths, but having said that he got well beaten. Nicky’s horses were taking a run so you’d be hoping he’d come on a nice bit.
“It is an ideal race for him and hopefully the ground doesn’t get too testing. He is going there in good form.”.
PORTA COST A FOTUNA
Coolmore are always building for the future. Whether that’s by securing a new stallion for big money, creating a new stallion by running them in the correct races, or buying well at the sales, their legacy is profound and unwavering. So, it came as no surprise to see M.V. Magnier next to PORTA FORTUNA in the purchases section of the Tattersalls website, and the 4.5 million guineas next to both of their names makes sense.
PORTA FORTUNA is a filly who has done so much despite a few setbacks here and there. She’s a Group 1 winner at two and three, and she is a Group 2 winner at four. She has quality and longevity, which are two very desirable traits. Furthermore, from a Coolmore perspective, she is a great mare to have on the books. She is a CARAVAGGIO out of a HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR mare, so she can very much cross out to the GALILEO sires like FRANKEL and AUSTRALIA if required.
That being said, Coolmore have another strategy up their sleeves, as Magnier said: “She’s a very good filly, very talented, she’s got loads of quality so let’s hope she can breed something similar. We’ve put a good bit of thought into which stallion she might visit and there’s a good chance that she could go to Starspangledbanner. He’s such an underrated stallion that it’s unbelievable. In his first couple of years he was somewhat subfertile but he’s turned out to be very good.”
Well then, a trip to STARSPANGELLEDBANNER awaits. His consistency to churn out top-class horses might not be certain, but boy has he had some decent horses in the likes of STATE OF REST and GSTAAD.
Coolmore also purchased TAMFANA for 2.3 million guineas and SAQQARA SANDS for 2.1 million guineas.
The good news is that SAQQARA SANDS will stay in training for next year, though whether she stays with Ralph Beckett or goes to Ireland is a big talking point. In the past, when M.V. Magnier purchased BELIEVING, she stayed with George Boughey rather than going over to Aidan O’Brien’s yard. Stephen Hillen, on behalf of Coolmore, said: “I really liked her runs at Goodwood. She’ll go to America. I think she’ll be good on a turning track and there’s plenty of races for her there. She’s run to a rating of 110, that’s usually good enough to win Grade 1s in America. There’s lots of money there and she’s still young.”
That’s great to see that at least one is staying around. When there’s money to be made, there’s money to be made, and Coolmore are certainly doing that.
WHO’S THE DADDY?
And finally, MYDADDYPADDY is back. He runs in the opening race at Haydock, which is just a two-mile introductory hurdle where he runs off levels against KOSAC D’OUDAIRIES and SMOKE TRAIL.
Unsurprisingly, he is very far odds-on, and today will not show too much regarding his Supreme credentials
Are there any things to keep an eye on today? Well, yes. The last day, Skelton alluded to the idea that he’d be happy to try him over a further distance if the horse tells him, but he knows his owner would love a Supreme horse. Sure, he pay the bills, but we’re quite sure if big Dan was to say he could have more chance of bagging the W in the Turners, then that’s where he’ll go.
So, in a race like this today where the pace could be quite false due to the field size, he will probably have to make it and try and just win from the front. If he grinds it out from a valiant competitor, there’s a chance Dermot Hanafin, the owner, will have to start considering Skelton’s way of thinking, but if he shows a new gear and goes away like a smart one, connections have nothing to suggest that he couldn’t be a horse for the Supreme.
In all, you have to watch him today for this is one of Skeltons many who could lead the levelling up of the British team in the Prestbury Cup and make Cheltenham great again.
MAXWELLS GOLD CUP HORSE
When David Maxwell sold his horses at Cheltenham in October, he lamented on the fact no longer be able to ride his beloved JUST ENNEMI.
We know Maxwell doesn’t shy away from the big statements about this horses, whether they’re right or not (think the Persian War statement lol (but it just shows how much he loves the horses)). He really thinks this lad is special. As always, you have to take what David says with a pinch of salt but to be fair to him, Harry Derham dug deep to keep him effectively sharing the previous owners belief in him:
Watch him today at Haydock in the 13.08.
RISK ON
We think the first four faves at Haydock but will go with one of them:
12.38 LA HIGUERA
Seriously well handicapped on pedigree only. Eye-catching run lto staying on best and his turn looks close as the market thinks too. Lawes in form to boot. 7/4 standard single.
13.30 MAGICAL MAGGIE
Half bet as she might need the run but has had a break to win at Ludlow twice before. 100/30.
Message for SUPPLICATE in the 13.30 we’ll go with too.
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