French recruits part two: the Rich Ricci team

Almost 17 years have passed since French recruit Mikael D'Haguenet justified favouritism to win the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle under Ruby Walsh. Since then, the Riccis have enjoyed a further 21 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and have had remarkable success with horses sourced from across The Channel such as Vroum Vroum Mag, Douvan, Vautour, Limini, Let's Dance, Min, Vauban, Benie Des Dieux, Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth.

It is not surprising, therefore, that they have delved into the French market yet again this year in order to find the next superstar. In no particular order, here are six of their recruits I am looking forward to seeing in the weeks and months ahead.

MADNESS D'ELLE – 3g Moises Has ex Voulay (Layman)

Daniela Mele to Willie Mullins

Form: 3 (hurdles)

Madness D’Elle is by up-and-coming sire Moises Has and he made a promising debut in the Prix Gemix (1m7f) over hurdles at Auteuil in May, finishing third, just over six lengths behind Shannon Maestro, who was making his second start.He jumped well for most of his race, but was still novicey at stages and shaped as if he should have learnt plenty from that outing and improve next time out. I have already highlighted in part one of this column what a fantastic source Daniela Mele is and her relationship with the Mullins stable.

Numerous good horses have been bought from her yard in Lower Normandy in recent years and, whilst I think this horse is still a work in progress, he showed enough on debut to suggest he can win races for his new connections. He may need soft ground to be seen to best effect.

MANITA – 3f Moises Has ex Mastermambo (Mastercraftsman)

Yannick Fouin to Willie Mullins

Form: 2 (hurdles)

Second in the fillies’ Prix Auricula (1m7f) at Auteuil in March, she handled the testing ground well, and travelled and jumped, but tired late on and found Manlaga (now with Nicky Henderson) too strong.

She comes from the same source as another grey Ricci filly in Lossiemouth, who won at Auteuil on her only French start.

The fourth-placed horse in the Auricula, Olga De Kiev has since won the Grade Three Prix Sagan by eight lengths and the Grade Three Prix Magne by four, with the runner-up Delmegan since having won the Grade Two Prix Magalen Bryant earlier this month - and whose rating of 73 by the French handicapper would correlate to a mark of 143 in Britain.

This looks strong form and she rates very highly in my list, and her sire is clearly one connections like. I suspect we might see her over the new year period, before a possible tilt at the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, all being well.

CHARME DE FAUST – 3f Goliath Du Berlais ex Charmeuse (Montjeu)

Gabriel Leenders to Willie Mullins

Form: 2 (hurdles)

Unlike the first two in this list, Charme De Faust made her debut in the autumn, finishing second in the fillies' division of the Prix Finot at Auteuil.

The form in behind is not proving strong at this stage and, despite finishing second, she was beaten nine and a half lengths by the impressive Maskina.

However, what is notable is the amount of ground she made up in the closing stages. She was only about eighth turning into the straight, where she had to be ridden, and yet, despite making a mess of the final hurdle when she still had plenty to do, she battled back to finish runner-up.

Her sire Goliath Du Berlais is one of the hottest sires in France at present and I suspect she will have learnt plenty from her first run. A step up in trip is sure to suit.

SELMA DE VARY – 3f Zarak ex Alliance A Vary (Authorized)

Emmanuel Clayeux to Willie Mullins

Form: 78 (Flat), 251 (hurdles)

After running twice on the all-weather at Deauville over the winter, Selma De Vary then went hurdling at Auteuil in the spring, winning once from three starts.

She finished second in the Prix Geographie (a race previously won by Lossiemouth) on her first run over obstacles in March, a race which has since been boosted significantly by the seven-length winner Delmegan and also somewhat by the third Mille Et Une Vies, who placed at Graded level afterwards and has now joined Dan Skelton. The fifth, Good Girl De Faust, has also won at Graded level this autumn.

A fifth-placed finish in Grade Three company followed Selma De Vary's second-placed finish, before she easily won a conditions hurdle at Auteuil last month on her most recent start.

Her sire Zarak has a superb strike rate with the runners he has had over obstacles and Selma De Vary, whilst still needing to improve to land a Triumph Hurdle (her French mark correlates to a very respectable British rating of 132), she comes from a good yard in Emmanuel Clayeux.

The Frenchman is the breeder of Al Boum Photo and has had success previously in Britain, saddling the first two home in the cross country race at Cheltenham's November meeting six years ago.

He is also the former trainer of another Mullins/Ricci recruit in Chacun Pour Soi, as well as Defi Du Seuil and Apple's Jade. It is worth noting he also has French Gold Cup runner-up Kolokico entered for the King George VI Chase later this month and is a likely runner for his British owner.

FIRE WARNING – 4g The Grey Gatsby ex Final Fanfare (High Chaparral)

Hugo Merienne to Nicky Henderson

Form: 61 (Flat), 2 (hurdles)

Despite coming from top trainer Hugo Merienne, Willie Mullins's former assistant, this promising four-year-old has joined the yard of Nicky Henderson.

A €340,000 purchase at the Arqana Arc Sale by Jerry McGarth and Toby Jones, the son of The Grey Gatsby did not race at three and was sixth on debut over an inadequate mile and a half on the Flat at Vichy in August, but then got off the mark when stepped up to a 2m1f Flat race at Moulins later in the month.

The grey then finished second over a furlong further on his hurdling debut at Auteuil in October, coming home just three-quarters of a length behind the promising winner Illusion Machine, who has since finished fourth in last month's Grade One Prix Renaud du Vivier, although he has ran below that level subsequently.

He does not look to be short of stamina and I expect Nicky Henderson to take a patient approach with him. He is another by a dual purpose sire that is doing well with his jumps runners.

LAURETS D’ESTRUVAL –4c Saint Des Saints ex Brise d’Estruval (Nickname)

Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire to Willie Mullins

Form: 2 (hurdles)

Having not raced this year, I have sneaked Laurets D’Estruval into this list because he finished second down at Pau in South-West France as late as December 15 last season. Ridden patiently early on, he worked his way through the field on very heavy ground and finished second under top jockey Kevin Nabet.

The winner of that race, Lovely Guy, has won four times since, twice over hurdles and twice over fences, and recently won a valuable Listed chase at Compiegne by 12 lengths.

Mullins has trained many ex-Macaire horses over the years, several of which have gone onto top-level success, including Vautour and Gaelic Warrior.

By the recently retired top-class chase sire Saint Des Saints, producer of Fastorslow, Djakadam, Protektorat, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Saint Calvados and Gentleman De Mee amongst many others, he looks to have plenty of talent.

As with many in this list, his ability to go on faster ground is unknown, but he is likely to have been well schooled given his background and will have learnt plenty at both Macaire's base in Royan and Closutton, where he has had plenty of time to settle in.