Cover image courtesy of Deauville
On Thursday in France, Christopher Head unveiled an exciting prospect in Maranoa Charlie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who made an immediate impact by winning the Arqana Series Des Poulains at Deauville.
Partly owned by Melbourne-based Peter Maher, The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Maher to learn more about Maranoa Charlie and what the future holds for this promising colt.
Despite being on debut, Maranoa Charlie delivered an impressive 3.5l victory over Mighty Boy (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). His trainer, Christopher Head, was on course and commented, “He has a lot of speed, and he’s been doing very well recently, so this was a good opportunity. He is a nice horse with a good stride. He was quite green in the stalls, but that doesn’t worry me much—it will come with time and racing.
“Stamina-wise, he should be able to get a mile. He’ll improve for the run and was very good on the straight course.”
Benoit picks out a nice one
Maranoa Charlie is the second foal from the Galileo (Ire) mare Koubalibre (Ire), who won over 1600 metres and is a half-sister to Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in Europe and Great Britain. Tiggy Wiggy claimed victories in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and the G2 Lowther Stakes.
Bred by Haras d'Etreham, Maranoa Charlie was presented at last year’s Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, where he was purchased by Laurent Benoit’s Broadhurst Agency for €220,000 (AU$363,600). He is raced by a group that includes Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald, and John Baxter.
“We’ve been racing horses in Europe for about the last 26-27 years, and we’ve been buying in France pretty regularly for probably the last 20 or so years,” Maher explained to TTR AusNZ.
“Laurent Benoit, who’s a highly regarded French bloodstock agent, looks after our interests in France. We went to the sales last year and decided he (Maranoa Charlie) was the one we wanted.
“Laurent Benoit, who’s a highly regarded French bloodstock agent, looks after our interests in France. We went to the sales last year and decided he (Maranoa Charlie) was the one we wanted.” - Peter Maher
“Quite frankly, we didn’t think we’d be able to afford him. So, we literally just walked around to watch him sell and see what he would go for. We were surprised to end up owning him.”
He just bloomed
Recounting the moment, he realised he had a good horse on his hands, Maher said, “We use the same processes and the same people for our young horses in France. There’s a wonderful man called Alban Chevalier du Fau, who probably has the best name in France.
“Alban does all the pre-training and breaking, and he kept saying that Maranoa Charlie has a very good mind. He’s just so willing to do what needs to be done. After that, Maranoa Charlie went to Christopher Head, the son of Freddy Head, with whom we had horses and enjoyed success.
Peter Maher | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“I must admit, the first time we met Christopher, we were very impressed, which is why he ended up training the horse. From the time he was with Christopher—and I’m touching wood as I say this—he got through without any great issues.
“But it’s not as if he came out and immediately did something remarkable, like half an hour in 23 minutes. He just kept progressing, and then about three weeks ago, he just bloomed.
“What started as perhaps getting a run at the end of the year changed completely. Christopher told me, ‘I’d like to run him in the sales race.’ I asked him, ‘Is that because you think he’ll be competitive?’ He replied, ‘No, because I think you’ll win.’
“...The first time we met Christopher, we were very impressed, which is why he ended up training the horse. From the time he was with Christopher... He got through without any great issues.” - Peter Maher
“So, he changed quite dramatically.”
Options aplenty
Maher indicated that there are several options for Maranoa Charlie going forward, depending on how the colt continues to progress. "The first thing is desperately trying to keep your feet on the ground, which is difficult to do when they perform like he just did.
“Traditionally, there's the race on Arc Day: The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère. It’s over seven furlongs for colts, so that’s the ultimate target if he’s good enough. The day before, there’s another sales race worth about 300,000 euros.
“So, you could go for one of those two, and then there’s a mile Group 1 race at Saint-Cloud called the Prix Criterium International about three weeks after Arc Day. If he’s good enough, those are the options, but going from where we are today to winning a Group 1 is quite a big step.
“The first thing is desperately trying to keep your feet on the ground, which is difficult to do when they perform like he just did.” - Peter Maher
“Those are the ultimate goals.
“However, one thing about being a horse owner is that if you’re not an optimist, you shouldn’t be in racing because there are so many disappointing days. I think it’s around the 7th or 8th of September that there’s a mile race at Chantilly. He'll head there next, and that race will determine the rest of his programme. He might even finish up after that race.”
Maher also reflected on the rise of Wootton Bassett (GB), comparing the European sire sensation to Australia’s three-time Champion Sire, I Am Invincible. “He’s very similar to ‘Vinnie’ in a way. Where Wootton Bassett first stood at Haras d’Etreham, they’re good friends of ours, and we’ve watched him rise from a €5,000 stallion to where he is now at Coolmore.
Wootton Bassett (GB) | Standing at Coolmore
“The only reason Wootton Bassett has reached this level is sheer performance. His current run is staggering; he’s just one of those sires who’s achieved success purely on merit.
“His rise isn’t due to hype or marketing—it's all down to performance. Watching him develop as he has, we’re just very fortunate to have one of his progeny who looks like a decent prospect.
“This year marks the first crop of Coolmore-bred runners by Wootton Bassett, and you’d imagine they’ve used better mares. So, you’d think his success is only likely to increase rather than diminish.”
The love of France
Speaking about the appeal of racing in France and other parts of Europe, Maher told The Thoroughbred Report, “First of all, the facilities at Chantilly are extraordinary. I don’t know how many times I’ve been there, but every time I return, I’m still blown away by the quality of the place; it’s just staggering.
“That’s one of the major attractions. Secondly, it’s racing we understand as Australians because they mainly race on flat courses, which is what we’re familiar with. Another big factor is the prize money—it’s much better than in the UK and Ireland.
Trackwork at Chantilly
“Additionally, so many foreign horses come to this part of the world these days that if you can get them started over there, you’ve always got the opportunity to bring them here and race them in Australia, where they’ve been so successful.
“And of course, spending a month or two in Paris each year—well, there are worse places to go. It’s not quite as exciting as Kabul in Afghanistan, but it’s still quite nice.”
When asked how he would summarise his breeding and racing programme in Australia, Maher added, “Questionable. I’m not a massive breeder. I’m much more of a racer and trader rather than a breeder.
“We breed one or two homebreds, and that’s all. The rest of the time, we race and trade, and that’s what we do in Australia and in other parts of the world.”
“We breed one or two homebreds, and that’s all. The rest of the time, we race and trade, and that’s what we do in Australia and in other parts of the world.” - Peter Maher
Maher also shared the invaluable help he’s received from Damon Gabbedy, who operates Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) and is the Australian representative of the French auction house Arqana.
“In France, in particular, we’ve been greatly helped by Damon Gabbedy. He’s the Australian agent for Arqana, so both internationally and here in Australia, Damon is someone we seek advice from when purchasing horses.”
