5-year-old Bay Gelding
TIN HORSE x L'ETOILE LA LUNE (Groom Dancer)
Trainer: Francois Nicolle
Breeders: B. Becquart, R. SCHLIENGER &
P. SCHLIENGER
Owner: ANTOINE BARDINI
To say that this horse wasn't bred for National Hunt racing would be an understatement. His Sire, Tin Horse, won over 5 furlongs at 2 and was the winner of the French 2,000 Guineas in 2011. His Dam, L'etoile La Lune, was a fair maiden on the flat, has sired 10 others who have made the track, including Beqcu Adoree and Bertranicus, who have won Listed races on the level. It was therefore no surprise to see Becquarainbow start his career on the flat, winning 2 low level races at Lyon and Marseille, a decent return of 2-6-14. However, it is since his switch to Francois Nicolle and the National Hunt scene, that his career has really taken off.
Having won on his debut over hurdles at Pau in December 2019, he has since added 2 more victories at Auteuil to his CV, including the Listed Prix Francois de Poncins in December 2020. His form is exceedingly strong, with the talented Zurekin (Sophie Leech) and Saint Turgeon (Davide Satalia) both chasing him home on his 2 most recent starts. His career record over hurdles currently stands at 3-3-6, indeed he has never finished outside of the first 2 over obstacles.
His trainer, Francois Nicolle told ATR on a recent stable tour "This is a very nice horse. He won a listed at Auteuil. He jumps like a God and his target will either be the Grande Course de Haie or the Grand Steeple-Chase de Compiegne. I want to be patient him and we shall see how he goes but he is very promising"
Blessed with a high cruising speed, inherited no doubt from his flat pedigree, he could be a real force over hurdles throughout 2021, especially on flat speed tracks like Auteuil and Compiegne. At 5-years-old he has not yet reached his peak and he is definitely capable of having a huge impact at the top level.
