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What’s in a Name: Mr Moliere

4th-Chantilly, $29,000, Debutantes, 2-6, 3yo, c/g, 8f (AWT), 1:39.82, ft. MR MOLIERE (GB) (g, 3, Kingman {GB}–Armande {Ire} {GSW & G1SP-Fr, $222,116}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}). O-Baron Edouard de Rothschild & Lady O'Reilly; B-SC Ecurie de Meautry & Petra Bloodstock Agency Ltd (GB); T-Andre Fabre; J-M. Guyon.

Horseracing is a game of old. Appropriately, there is so much from the 17th and 18th centuries in the pedigree of Chantilly demolition winner Mr Moliere (GB).

“Monsieur Moliere” for the French race commentator, evidemment.

Moliere was the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673), the French playwright [and actor] dominating the theatre of the times of Louis XIV, who loved and protected him. Armande, the namesake of the dam of the Andre Fabre trainee, was the name of Moliere's young wife, also a famous practitioner of the stage in her own right. And not for nothing there is a full sister in the pipeline baptized Mlle Moliere, the very stage name of Armande Poquelin [1640-1700] and, supposedly, also a yearling filly by No Nay Never carrying the name of Mme de Pomadour, the famous lover of King Louis XV and royal mistress par excellence. All in the [very historical] family.

2nd-Pau, $19,400, 2-5, 5yo/up, 10f (AWT), 2:05.60, ft. MON OURAGAN (FR) (h, 7, Toronado {Ire}–Lady Of The House {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). Lifetime Record: 27-10-5-0, $156,532. O-Laurent Dassault; B-Framont Limited, M Matthew & M Beaumont (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-J Eyquem.

The name of multiple French winner Mon Ouragan (Fr) appears to be the result of clever word-play across different languages. But… is it so?

Let's take a step back. Years ago, when I first realized that there was a Group 1-winning horse called Toronado (High Chaparral–Wana Doo, by Grand Slam), I thought that he had been named after the famous 1960s Oldsmobile model, the first U.S.-produced car with front-wheel drive. I was ill-informed. In fact, when I eventually inquired with one of the professionals connected with the Richard Hannon Sr. trainee, she told me that it was named after the horse of Zorro!

Twice true, confirmed Google: “Tornado (occasionally Toronado) is a horse ridden by the character Zorro in several films and books. Tornado is said to be intelligent and fast. His name is pronounced in the Spanish way, 'tor-NAH-do' (except in the 1998 movie The Mask of Zorro)”.

As it happens, tornado is also Spanish for “tornado” and ouragan is French for, “hurricane, tempest, storm.” You do not have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing and understand that the connection is there.

Moral of the story: although there is power in names, names' power depends heavily on how much or how little we know. Phenomenology (the supposed science of how things may present themselves to people) is not my favorite philosophy, but it does win this round.

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Michael Halford Enters Training Partnership With Tracey Collins

Group 1-winning trainer Michael Halford has revealed that he is set to join forces with Tracey Collins and take out a joint-licence ahead of the new Flat season in March.

Halford, whose Group 1 win was achieved with Casamento (Ire) in the Racing Post Trophy in 2010, has also enjoyed international success in Dubai as well as Royal Ascot glory in recent years from his Copper Beech Stables.

However, he is set to relocate from that purpose-built facility to Collins' Conyngham Lodge yard on the Curragh, where the pair will become just the second joint-licence holders in Ireland.

Speaking about the move, Halford, who sent out 24 Flat winners last term, said, “The association between the Collins family and Irish racing goes back close to a century and is one of the proudest in our sport. I'm grateful, humbled and excited by the chance to train alongside Tracey at one of the most famous yards on the Curragh and look forward to starting this new chapter next month.”

Halford is one of the few trainers in Ireland to have sent out more than 1,000 winners. He has trained for some of the biggest owners in racing, including Godolphin and the Aga Khan, and his seasonal tally of winners has hit double figures every year since 1998.

Tracey Collins | Racingfotos.com

Collins has enjoyed notable success in her own right, notably with stable star Captain Joy (Ire), and hails from a family steeped in Irish racing history. Her grandfather, M.C. Collins, sent out Windsor Slipper to win the Irish Triple Crown in 1942 and trained five Classic winners from Conyngham Lodge. Her father, Con, will forever be associated with Sandy Creek, the Classic-winning Princess Pati and the Moyglare S. heroine Chelsea Rose.

Collins, who sent out two winners last term, commented, “There is a long and proud tradition here at Conyngham Lodge and I'm greatly looking forward to the next chapter in the yard's history by teaming up with Michael from the start of March. It's an exciting venture and one full of potential and I hope we have much to look forward to over the coming months and years.”

Father-and-son team Eddie and Patrick Harty are the only other joint-licence holders in Ireland but Danny Murphy is understood to be in the process of joining Kieran Cotter on the licence.

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World’s Most Successful Active Stallion Dubawi Sires 250th Individual Stakes Winner

Dubawi (Ire), the world's most successful active stallion, achieved another major milestone on Saturday by siring his 250th individual stakes winner.

Away from all the bright lights and razzmatazz of a big festival, Godolphin homebred Lake Lucerne, who began his career with John Gosden, achieved that landmark success when running out a cosy winner of the Albert M Stall Memorial S. at Fair Grounds for Brendan Walsh and Tyler Gaffalione.

That victory means that Dubawi has now achieved 599 stakes wins in total. A whopping 53 horses by him have scored at the highest level, with many serving to harden Dubawi's reputation as a sire of sires, which leading bloodstock agent Anthony Stroud has explained is one of the most pleasing aspects of the evergreen 21-year-old's influence.

He said, “Dubawi is just an unbelievable stallion. To be a sire of sires, which he is, it's unprecedented really. Dubai Millennium (GB) was a very special horse for everyone at Godolphin and it's wonderful that the line is continuing. We have Dubawi and his sons who will continue.

“You've got New Bay (GB), Zarak (Fr), Night Of Thunder (Ire) and lots of other young sires coming through like Ghaiyyath (Ire) and Space Blues (Ire) who are all by him. There's a lot to look forward to.”

Stroud added, “I don't think you could ever get tired of speaking about a stallion who is so on top of his game like Dubawi is. He has been a consistent sire at the highest level. We are just very privileged to have had stallions like Galileo (Ire), and now Sea The Stars (Ire), Frankel (GB) and Dubawi in Europe.”

Stroud has bought a large portion of Godolphin's yearlings at public auction in recent years and, alongside Sheikh Mohammed, returned to the market at Book 1 at Tattersalls last year to snap up 14 yearlings to the tune of just over 13,000,000gns by the dominant stallion. Put simply, there are few people better qualified to comment on the success Dubawi is having than he is.

However, while Stroud admits that what Dubawi has achieved already is astounding, he said that he firmly believes that the ink is still wet on his story.

He explained, “It's a great landmark for him to have achieved but, in racing, you never look backwards and always push forward. Yes, 250 is great, but there is still more to come from him. I firmly believe that the trajectory that he is on, it will continue to go upwards.

“The great thing about Dubawi is his versatility. He can get top-class horses over six furlongs, a mile or any distance. It's remarkable really. Another thing, they all seem to have very good minds. They have wonderful temperaments.”

Of the 250 individual stakes winners sired by Dubawi, 133 were colts or geldings and, in terms of Group or Graded winners, 98 have been achieved by colts or geldings and 65 by fillies or mares.

Stroud also acknowledged the huge significance surrounding the fact that milestone winner Lake Lucerne was bred by Godolphin and carried the famous royal blue silks to victory on Saturday.

He said, “Yes, it's quite fitting as the homebreds are the backbone to the Godolphin operation. They are key to any successful racing operation. The homebreds are the spine.”

Providing an update on Dubawi, who is set to stand for a whopping £350,000 this year, Stroud added, “He is really good, really well, and understandably has a fantastic book of mares to look forward to this year.”

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Coolangatta Punches Royal Ascot Ticket In Lightning

Coolangatta (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}), who won the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. at Flemington on Saturday, will be pointed toward a start at Royal Ascot, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the 3-year-old filly has won five of her eight starts, and started this campaign with a third in the G2 Mitty's McEwen S. at Moonee Valley in September. She claimed a first Group 1 crown in the Moir S. there on Sept. 23, but could only manage fifth in the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at Flemington on Oct. 29. Given a rest, the Lightning was her first start back.

“From here the dream would be Royal Ascot for everyone involved,” co-trainer Eustace told the paper. “She's shown she likes the straight and I think everyone in the group would be keen to go there.

“Where she goes next, I'm not sure, but ultimately, we'd love to give that a crack.”

Added jockey Jamie Kah, “I thought she would run second today honestly, I didn't think she would be able to beat Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}).

“The race did shape out for her, there was pressure early, but she is half the size of him, and she just does things she shouldn't do, she is just an amazing horse.”

Last year's Royal Ascot sprint darling Nature Strip did not deliver his customary burst of finishing power and finished sixth. It was his third straight start without a win since he captured the G1 T J Smith S., G1 King's Stand S., and G2 Bowermans Shorts in succession in April, June and September.

His jockey, James McDonald, did not offer an excuse and said, “He tried hard.”

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