Recruits - Folkene

A horse with an official rating of 31.5-kilos, the equivalent to 69 in the UK, wouldn’t normally be high on my list of priorities to cover on this blog. However, even though Folkene might be considered to be relatively exposed after 9 starts for Gael Lemer, I think there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about her chances of further success in the UK and in time, the €23,000 paid by Roger Fell at the Horses-in-Training Arqana sale may well look like a shrewd piece of business. She is a Goken Filly whose Dam, Ma Petite Folie, was Listed placed over 9-furlongs in Germany and comes from a family with Australian Group form. Folkene made a steady start to her career when 4th behind Romance Certaine at Tarbes in October, beaten 5-lengths by a horse now rated 40.5-kilos. That was a promising start and she was still in with a chance as the field turned for home, but she didn’t build on that effort and largely struggled for form on the All-Weather at Pau over the Winter. The PSF track at Pau can be very difficult to predict and the surface lends itself to front-running tactics, so I wouldn’t read too much into that form if she returns to an artificial surface later in the year. However, I can also say with some confidence that she is a better horse on the grass based on the form that we have to analyse at this point.

She broke her maiden tag in a 1,500m handicap at Tarbes in May, travelling strongly and staying on nicely to win by over a length. The time was reasonable considering the ground and there were several lightly raced 3-year-olds in behind her. That was a positive step and although she finished 3rd at Bordeaux on her final start in France, she ran to at least the same level as the Tarbes win and was slightly unfortunate not to finish closer given the way the race panned out. She travelled strongly into the straight, but Fabrice Veron made the decision to make his challenge along the inside of the field. That can be a risky strategy at Bordeaux and given that the winner and the 2nd came down the centre of the course, I think we can upgrade this performance, especially as she confirmed the form with Dalynska, who had chased her home at Tarbes in May. Given the way she travels into her races, the stronger early pace that she is likely to encounter in the UK should suit and once she has acclimatised, I expect her to add further wins to her CV and she should make up into a decent Class 4 and 5 performer.