3-YEAR-OLD BAY COLT
SEA THE MOON x FAST AND PRETTY (Zamindar)
Trainer: Fabrice Vermeulen
Breeder: Chevotel de la Hauquerie
Owners: Bernard Giraudon & Ecurie Serge Stempniak
By Sea the Moon, a German derby winner and a rising star in the stallion ranks, out of a Zamindar mare, who has also produced Pretty Boy, a dual winner and group placed gelding for Fabrice Chappet, it is fair to say that Pretty Tiger comes from a decent family. He made his debut in a low key newcomers race at Deauville last November, when he ran a nice race under Pierre-Charles Boudot, without ever really looking like making a winning start. However, he quickly put that experience to good use, winning his maiden at Cagnes-Sur-Mer on 19th January, beating 2 subsequent winners in the process, before adding a Class 1 conditions race at the same track 3 weeks later. On both of those runs, he was able to run sub 11-second furlongs, something that he really shouldn't be able to do on his breeding.
With a growing amount of confidence, his connections decided to step him up into Listed class for his first start on the turf, in the Francois Mathet Stakes at Saint-Cloud. Whilst he did have the benefit of his stablemate, Fourviere, acting as a pacemaker to ensure the race was run at a proper gallop, Pretty Tiger was still able to stamp his class on a decent field and came right away when taking up the running 2-furlongs from home.
He has entries in the Prix du Jockey Club and the Grand Prix de Paris and whilst he has a long way to go before he can be considered as one of the principles for those races, he does appear to have taken his racing in his stride and has definitely improved with every start.
Given his breeding, there is no doubt that he will stay further than the 10-furlongs he has already won over, but given the turn of foot he has shown, he could well be a serious force at group level, especially in small fields, where he can use his speed to dominate.