Kodiac two-year-old Good Guess made the perfect start to his career on Sunday when the easy winner of his debut on the Prix du Jockey Club undercard at Chantilly.
Well regarded by connections, the Hiraaki Saito-owned colt was bounced out by Stephane Pasquier and made all, ultimately winning in cosy fashion by just under a length.
So impressive was Good Guess that he was named a 'JDG Rising Star' by the leading French publication Jour De Galop.
"He’s a nice horse," trainer Fabrice Chappet told Sky Sports Racing. "He was working well and was ready to go. It's never easy to lead from the start for a first-time starter but that’s the way it was today, and that's ok. Maybe we’ll give him another run in a conditions race before he goes higher in grade."
Good Guess (pictured below as a yearling) was bred by Cheveley Park Stud out of its flourishing Russian Rhythm family also responsible for Saturday's Princess Elizabeth Stakes one-two, Bashkirova and Potapova. Good Guess, who was bought by Chauvigny Global Equine for 420,000gns at Book 1 of last year's Tattersalls October Sale, is out of Russian Rhythm's Pivotal daughter Zykina and therefore a half-brother to the Group 3 winner Zykina.
Good Guess is another highly promising debut two-year-old winner of the year for Kodiac after Zarinsk, successful for Juddmonte and Ger Lyons at the Curragh, Amo Racing's impressive York scorer Walbank and All The Time, who created a good impression for Simon and Ed Crisford at Nottingham last week.
His win came on the same card that El Bodegon, another by Kodiac, ran a brave second in the Prix du Jockey Club. Winner of last season's Criterium de Saint-Cloud for James Ferguson, the colt battled on well under Ioritz Mendizabal to take second ahead of the French 2,000 Guineas winner Modern Games.
"It's fantastic," said James Ferguson. "I've never been so happy to come second. All credit to the winner but we've beaten everything else. He wears his heart on his sleeve and tried all the way to the line. Ioritz was delighted with him."
El Bodegon - who was knocked down to James Ferguson for 70,000gns out of our draft at the Tattersalls October Sale - is one of six Group 1 winners for Kodiac and a brother to the top-class globe-trotter Best Solution.
They were bred by Cecil and Martin McCracken out of their excellent mare Al Andalyya, a daughter of Kingmambo who hails from the family of Workforce and Brian Boru.
