Matilda Picotte | Horse Racing Free Tips

“She Has A Huge Chance” – Matilda Picotte Bids For Big-Race Saudi Riches

Trainer Kieran Cotter says that he is optimistic his stable star Matilda Picotte (Ire), a filly he has continuously turned down big-money offers for, will put her best foot forward in the valuable Group 2 Saudi National Bank 1351 Turf Sprint on February 24.

The daughter of Sioux Nation developed into a high-class three-year-old last season, finishing third in the G1 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket before landing the G3 Sceptre S. and G2 Challenge S. in the autumn.

The 1351 Turf Sprint will be the filly's first start of the new campaign and the trainer says he couldn't be happier with her ahead of the valuable contest.

Cotter said, “She obviously had a busy three-year-old season, so we've given her a nice break over the winter so far, but she's 100 per cent tuned up for this. You can't turn up to a race like this and only be 95 per cent. What she has done for us is immeasurable to be honest. To say you've been involved in a superstar, which she is to us, is very special.

“She's brought us to a place that we could never have dreamed of going, it's mind-boggling. As for the race, I think she has a huge chance. With the greatest respect about all the well-regarded challengers in the race, our filly couldn't give a hoot about them! It's great to know that we've got a horse who will be giving 100 per cent and you can't ask for much more than that.”

Matilda Picotte caught the eye of the racing world last season, not least some big owners, and Cotter revealed he's fortunate to still have the horse in his care.

“There are around 10 who own shares in Matilda, which is lucky, as if it was just one there was probably enough money on the table from prospective buyers for them to be tempted,” he said.

“We've been offered some serious, serious [sums of] money for her, so full credit to the owners who are sticking with her and rolling the dice. The prize-money in Saudi is obviously a big draw, so hopefully we can get some of it.”

Three-time champion Flat jockey Oisin Murphy is two-from-two on the filly and is set to be in the saddle once again.

“Oisin has been fantastic with her and he can't wait to get back on board again, so he'll definitely be travelling over for the ride,” added the trainer.

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From Havana Grey To Rajasinghe – Which Freshmen Are Here To Stay?

Not only did Havana Grey (GB) record more individual winners and total wins than any of his first-season sire rivals in Great Britain and Ireland, but he also broke the £1-million marker for total earnings, which is why he deservedly wears the champion freshman stallion crown.

Those earnings were propped up by big sales race winners Shouldvebeenaring (GB) and Eddie's Boy (GB), with the latter going on to bag a Group 3 before selling for 320,000gns at the Tattersalls horses-in-training sale in October.

Havana Grey had 36 winners for 76 runners this year and his progeny recorded total earnings of £1,074,697, which was almost £420,000 more than his nearest rival Sioux Nation could manage in what was a pulsating race for first-season sire bragging rights.

But with four stakes winners and 57 total wins achieved in 2022, Whitsbury Manor Stud's emerging force confirmed himself the undisputed top dog of the young sire brigade, and earned himself a fee rise from £6,000 to £18,500 in the process.

Joe Callan, head of Whitsbury's bloodstock and sales, said, “We knew Havana Grey was going to be popular after what his first runners achieved this season but the demand for him has been unprecedented. It's been crazy and it's got to a stage where we've stopped counting [the number of mares who have been put forward to visit the stallion next year]. You can see why people are so keen to use him. He's had a fantastic season with 13 stakes horses and is operating at 16% stakes horses to runners and almost 50% winners to runners in Britain and Ireland. He has big crops coming through over the next couple of years so he deserves the accolades that he is getting.”

Havana Grey was kept honest all year by Coolmore's Sioux Nation, who had an excellent campaign in his own right and earned a fee rise to €17,500 for 2023. By Scat Daddy, Sioux Nation ended the year with 29 individual winners from 65 runners and his progeny amassed £657,000 worth of total earnings in Britain and Ireland.

Matilda Picotte (Ire) was Sioux Nation's biggest earner having accounted for £124,667, highlighted by victory in the Listed “Bosra Sham” Fillies' S. at Newmarket in October.

That effort came off the back of a busy campaign with Kieran Cotter's star juvenile winning her maiden at the Curragh on debut in May, placing in two Group 2s and finishing runner-up in the valuable Ballyhane S. at Naas. Sydneyarms Chelsea (Ire) also secured Group 3 glory for Sioux Nation at Deauville in August for Charlie Hills.

Little separated Harry Angel (Ire) and Kessaar (Ire) in third and fourth, respectively. The Dalham Hall Stud-based Harry Angel had 21 individual winners from 45 runners and recorded £433,814 in earnings while Tally-Ho Stud's Kessaar made a similarly respectable start with 20 individual winners from three fewer runners and amassed £351,906 in prize-money.

Tally-Ho Stud has enjoyed top honours with Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB) in recent seasons and, while the early signs are that Kessaar is not on that trajectory, he has proven a solid addition to the ranks. A classy sprinter, Kessaar's progeny appear to stay further than he did, which is somewhat surprising, and it will be interesting to track their progression in 2023.

Cracksman (GB) came up trumps with Listed winner Dance In The Grass (GB) along with a host of promising youngsters with a view towards next season. He sired nine winners from 39 runners and one would expect his offspring to build on that next year.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf success of Victoria Road (Ire) obviously doesn't contribute towards the leading freshman sire championship in Britain and Ireland, but it's worth bearing in mind with a view to the results of Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

Coolmore's G1 2000 Guineas-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) went from strength to strength this year, building to that almighty crescendo in Keeneland with Victoria Road, but he also enjoyed some major triumphs domestically to finish fifth in the British and Irish first-season sire standings.

Saxon Warrior was responsible for 13 individual winners from 41 runners and £351,906 in prize-money. Joseph O'Brien's Lumiere Rock (Ire), winner of the G3 Staffordstown Stud S., and G2 Debutante S. third Thornbrook (Ire) flew the flag for the stallion in Ireland, while Jim Bolger's Gan Teorainn (Ire) enjoyed notable success on and off the track.

After winning her maiden impressively at Naas in August, Gan Teorainn carried the familiar Ennistown Stud silks to finish second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp.

That form ensured that one of Saxon Warrior's highest-rated daughters would be in high demand when selling at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls and so it proved with BBA Ireland paying 1 million gns to secure the filly who is understood to have been bought to continue her career in Australia.

Despite being based in Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Coolmore's Justify enjoyed a notably good first season with runners in Britain and Ireland.

The unbeaten Statuette, successful in the G2 Airlie Stud S., and Group 3 scorer Aspen Grove put the US Triple Crown winner in lights in Ireland this year.

Meanwhile, it was just last week when the Willie Browne-trained Diamondsareforever (Ire) posted a taking debut victory at Dundalk, further solidifying the notion that Justify is a coming force on the international stage. Five winners from just 11 individual runners in Britain and Ireland including £146,963 in prize-money represented a strong start for Justify.

Fellow Coolmore-based US Navy Flag had eight individual winners from 35 runners. It should be noted that two of his best horses enjoyed listed success abroad; Ocean Vision (Ire) in France and Love Reigns (Ire) in America.

Tasleet (GB) is another freshman sire worthy of mention, not least because he sired the brilliant G2 Coventry S. winner Bradsell (GB). Set to stand for just £6,000 at Nunnery Stud next year, Tasleet had a solid 34% winners to runners, which was more than Saxon Warrior, Expert Eye (GB), US Navy Flag, Cracksman (GB) and more.

But the biggest surprise in the first-season stallion ranks came from the figures posted by the largely unheralded Rajasinghe (Ire), who is set to stand for just £3,000 at the National Stud next year.

Winner of the G2 Coventry S. in 2017 for Phil Cunningham, who has been a big supporter of the horse since he went to stud, Rajasinghe had eight individual winners from 10 runners which equates to a whopping 80% strike-rate.

All of this has been achieved with average mares which suggests Rajasinghe could have the makings of becoming a pretty decent sire if provided with the right ammunition.

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Cotter: ‘Ascot-Bound Matilda Picotte Not For Sale At Any Price’

No amount of money will persuade the owners of impressive Curragh maiden winner Matilda Picotte (Ire) (Sioux Nation) to give up on their dream of walking into the winner's enclosure at Royal Ascot, according to the filly's trainer Kieran Cotter, who said “everyone wants a slice” of the Queen Mary-bound speedster.

Matilda Picotte maintained the flying start of Coolmore's first-season sire Sioux Nation by making all to score on debut at the Curragh on Monday and, in doing so, she landed some hefty wagers.

The owners of the filly are not for selling, with Cotter revealing a number of potential suitors have already been turned away, and connections of Matilda Picotte are now keen to roll the dice with the classy prospect.

Cotter explained, “The phone has been hopping mad since Monday. Everyone is looking for a slice of her but she's not for sale at this point at least. The lads are going to sit quiet. There are a few lads involved in her so, if they were to sell her now, she would make a lot of money but, by the time you divided it all up, it wouldn't be a life-changing amount for everyone involved.

“As well as that, there a couple of lads involved who have had no luck with horses for years so, now that they have found one who is potentially smart enough to take them to Royal Ascot, they are prepared to roll the dice. This is the first turn they are after getting out of horses so I would say that they are in no hurry to cash in.”

Matilda Picotte is the fourth horse by Sioux Nation to have won its maiden at the first time of asking and it didn't come as a surprise to those closest to the filly given they backed her from odds as big as 40-1 down to a starting price of just 8-1.

Cotter said, “When you go to a Curragh maiden first time out, you know that you could bump into anything, but we thought it would take a very smart horse to beat her. She opened up at 40-1 and we backed her into 5-1 before she went back out to 8-1 on the off. We had a few quid on but, in hindsight, we should have had more on.”

He added, “Jim Ryan bred the filly and it was a bit of a coincidence that her half-sister Ginsburg (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) won an apprentices' handicap on the same day. She was working really well about a month ago and we said, half jokingly, Queen Mary here we come-we're going to Royal Ascot. Now it looks like it could be a reality.”

Before then, Matilda Picotte could be aimed at the Marble Hill S. at the Curragh on May 21, with Cotter making the wider point that these big-race ambitions wouldn't be possible if he were training over jumps in Ireland.

He explained, “We will go for the Marble Hill S. at the Curragh next and then hopefully it will be all systems go for Royal Ascot. The dream is alive.

“It's easier to get a good horse on the Flat in Ireland as the jumps is just monopolised by a handful of trainers. It's probably even more financially viable for owners to go and buy a horse on the Flat as well because there is a much quicker turnaround.”

He added, “None of our horses cost more than €20,000 or €30,000. You wouldn't get a third grade jumps horse at the store sales for that sort of money.”

“We've six 2-year-olds, two of which have won already, and with a bit of luck we'll have another few juvenile winners because they are a nice bunch. Most of our winners are in the speed category-five or six furlongs.”

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