Now That Is An Exciting Debut

A son of Wootton Bassett out of the Australian-bred, Manhattan Rain mare, The Hunt Is On, Midlife Crisis was the talk of Deauville on Tuesday when he bettered a field of bluebloods by a widening five lengths over 7-furlongs at his career debut.

Ridden by Stéphane Pasquier for Chantilly-based Hiroo Shimizu, Midlife Crisis led at every call to defeat Bouttemont (by Acclamation out of a Fastnet Rock mare) with Mythico (Adlerflug) a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.

A €120,000 purchase out of the Haras d’Étreham draft at last year’s Arqana August Yearling Sale, Midlife Crisis is the second foal of The Hunt Is On who won little more than a maiden at Naracoorte at her 12^th and final start.

Covered by Lonhro to Northern Hemisphere time, The Hunt Is On was exported to France in July 2016.

The daughter of Manhattan Rain is a sister to the Group III Geelong Cup winner and Group 1 South Australia Derby third Runaway and a half-sister to Group 1 Australian Oaks heroine Absolutely (Redoute’s Choice) and the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks winner Abbey Marie (Redoute’s Choice), out of the Catrail mare Catshaan who is a half-sister to the Australian-bred Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) a two time winner of the  Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and a successful sire in Japan.

Plenty to look forward to for this family as Abbey Marie had her first foal last spring, a filly by the legendry Deep Impact (JPN) before being covered by Dundeel.

Abbey Marie’s sister Absolutely was exported to Japan in 2013. She has had a troubled history, missing to Deep Impact in her first two seasons and just one foal in the following three. Things have picked up for her of late with a yearling filly by Mikki Isle and a colt foal by Just A Way.

The win of Midlife Crisis proved timely for her half-sister by Siyouni that will be offered by Haras d’Étreham at the upcoming Deauville Select Sale beginning on September 24.

And for anyone wondering what became of The Hunt Is On’s Lonhro filly foal. She was named Nouvelle Escale and won a claimer and placed 5-times in France.