Julian Ince | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘It Was Like Winning the Gold Cup’: Ince Salutes Prolific Zarica

There are few nine-year-old winners of claiming races who make the headlines but in the case of Zarica (Fr) it is fully justified. The daughter of Rio De La Plata entered the French racing history books on Friday when equalling the record number of wins in a season, striking at Compiegne for the 11th time in 2023.

In her 15 starts this year stretching back to January, Zarica has never finished out of the first four and has appeared at tracks all over France, from Le Touquet down to Marseille Borely. Trained by Julien Phelippon, Zarica was bred by Julian Ince of Haras du Logis, where her sire stood until his death last year. Having won for the first time at four, she has now accrued 20 victories from her 77 starts.

“She took her time,” said Ince of Zarica, who has really hit her stride at the age of nine, equalling the record held since 1997 of Alips (Fr), who was bred by Ince's friends and former Logis clients, the late Georges and Jacqueline Sandor.

He added, “But it's another great thing to say about the French premiums, that they keep horses in training. She has equalled the record now but I'm sure Julien will try to beat it. He has October, November and December left, and if you look at her record she has an entry every two to three weeks.”

Ince's breeding programme was also seen to good effect at Cholet on Saturday when he was responsible for the first winner of Le Brivido (Fr), the Classic-placed son of Siyouni (Fr) who started his stud career at Overbury Stud in England but is now resident at France's Haras de la Haie Neuve. His daughter Etel (Fr), bred by Ince from the Seeking The Gold mare Angel's Tears, triumphed on her third start for Anne-Sophie Crombez.

Through his Haras du Logis draft, Ince is selling two yearlings by Le Brivido at the Arqana October Sale next week, including a brother to Brio (Fr), who was a close second on debut for Gavin Hernon at Saint-Cloud last week.

“Brio looks to be a very good horse and his full-brother is going through the ring in October,” Ince said.

“It's been a really fun weekend. It was huge fun watching Zarica equal the record. It was like winning the Gold Cup. We were shouting her across the line.”

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Victor Ludorum Retired To Logis

Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal-Antiquities {GB}, by Kaldounevees {Fr}), an unbeaten Group 1-winning 2-year-old who trained on to be a Classic winner at three for Godolphin, has been retired from racing and will stand at Haras du Logis in Normandy next year. A fee will be announced at a later date.

Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, “Victor Ludorum was a great credit to the Godolphin team–a homebred Classic winner who was exceptional at two. We're delighted to be standing him in France, scene of all his races. He hails from a particularly exceptional stallion-making family and has every chance of being a great stallion son of Shamardal.”

Victor Ludorum started three times at two in the space of five weeks for trainer Andre Fabre and won all three outings culminating in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. He trained on to take the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains of 2020 and was third behind Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. He picked up another pattern-race win over a mile this season when taking the G3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly, and was third behind the ascendant Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Prix du Moulin.

By Darley's own highly successful sire Shamardal, Victor Ludorum is inbred 3×3 to the excellent producer Helen Street (GB) (Troy {GB}), best known as the dam of Street Cry (Ire). Useful young sire Territories (Ire) also appears on the page.

Haras du Logis's Julian Ince said, “I'm thrilled that Darley is entrusting such a wonderful horse to the Haras du Logis. And, of course, it's tremendous for the French breeding community. Bred by Godolphin and masterfully trained by Andre Fabre, Victor Ludorum has been a wonderful horse to watch. We've all been so excited by him. A great looking colt, with a fantastic pedigree, and such a talent Unbeaten at two and brilliant in the Poule d'Essai–that's exactly what his sire Shamardal achieved, and we'll be hoping Victor Ludorum will be just as successful at stud.”

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Slickly Dead At 25

World champion miler and leading French sire Slickly (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}-Slipstream Queen, by Conquistador Cielo) has died aged 25 at Haras du Logis. The grey had been pensioned from stud duties in 2019, having stood at stud at Logis since he retired to stud in 2003.

Julian Ince, who has managed Slickly's stud career, said, 'Slickly has been a wonderful horse to have at Logis, and had a very loyal following among French breeders. He was the perfect sire for the French 'primes'–his stock could win as early juveniles and still be going strong as 6- or 7-year-olds, much as he was himself. He reliably transmitted his will to win. He was quite white in his old age, with plenty of lumps and bumps, but he was always happy to see a friendly face, and it was a sad day when we finally had to let him go.”

Bred by Jean-Luc Lagardere, Slickly was trained initially by Andre Fabre for Godolphin to win the G3 Prix la Rochette at two and the G2 Prix Noailles and G1 Grand Prix de Paris at three, in addition to finishing second to Dubai Millennium in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. Transferred to Saeed bin Suroor at four, Slickly added the G3 La Coupe and G2 Prix Dollar, and he was at his best at five when winning the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and the G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua. Slickly made just one start at six, defending his Premio Vittorio di Capua title.

Slickly's 17 stakes winners were headed by his four-time Group 1 winner Meandre (Fr), who like his sire won the Grand Prix de Paris. At his peak, 17% of Slickly's offspring won at least €100,000 in prize money and French premiums. Slickly's line will continue through the likes of his Group 1 performer Gris de Gris (Fr), who is doing well as a jumps sire, while his broodmare daughters include the Group 1 producer Maka (Fr). Slickly's sister Sichilla (Ire) is the dam of French champion sire Siyouni (Fr).

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