Cachet "moving well" after HQ glory; France under consideration

QIPCO 1000 Guineas winner Cachet is “more likely than not” to contest the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp on Sunday week.

Winner of the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket last month, the daughter of Aclaim returned to the Rowley Mile to provide trainer George Boughey and owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing with a famous Classic succes.

Highclere’s managing director, Harry Herbert, was emotional in the Newmarket winner’s enclosure and admitted he was still on cloud nine on Tuesday afternoon.

He said: “We don’t want to, but we’re coming down slowly but surely!

“We all know how hard it is. It’s taken 30 years to get the blue colours in front in a Classic in this country, which just shows how hard it is.

“It was a wonderful day for everyone involved and I still can’t quite believe it.”

While a final decision has yet to be made, Herbert is expecting Cachet to head across the Channel before potentially running in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“We’re still in discussion, but we will certainly look very closely at the French Guineas,” he added.

“It’s up for discussion and I expect at the moment it’s more likely than not, but we just want to absolutely see how she comes out of the race. She seems fine and George is thrilled to bits with her.

“She’s pretty versatile ground-wise. She has obviously proven she likes top of the ground and has a wonderful action for top of the ground, but she has gone on easy ground as well.

“I suppose with the way she races and the way she quickens, faster ground will probably suit better.”

Trainer George Boughey added: “She’s come out of the Guineas really well. The advantage with running at Newmarket is that she was back here afterwards having a pick of grass 45 minutes after the race. She’s eaten up and is moving well.

“She’s in the French Guineas. I didn’t put her in the Irish Guineas as I didn’t think it would be the race for her. It’s a stiff mile there and the racing is very different. I think going round a bend at Longchamp might suit her. That’s a decision we’ll make in the next week or so. Certainly Ascot is the main focal point of the year.”

Consigned by John Bourke, who bought Cachet’s Dam Poyle Sophie in foal with Cachet for just 3,000 guineas, Boughey looked back on the Breeze-Ups and what appealed about Cachet: “She wasn’t one of the fastest breezers at Tattersalls Craven Sale last spring but she wasn’t meant to be. The fact she was working over five furlongs early was an indicator of her ability.

“It’s been quite a journey and I remember saying last year that she would be better at a mile. That’s probably the ceiling of her staying potential.”

Reflecting on Sunday’s victory, Boughey went on: “It’s still quite surreal. It was great that all my family and a lot of my friends were there. We always hoped something like that might happen at one point in my career, but for it to happen so soon with such a special filly for great owners and great people was amazing.

“It’s been a great few days. There are so many people to thank, most notably the people who have been working very hard. We have a growing team and it just makes my job so much easier when you have so many good people. There’s a huge team and I’m just very lucky to have the name on the door.”