Early March goes a step further

He missed the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Gr.1) by only a small margin, following a tough fight, after Oratorio came on his inside. But every cloud has a silver lining. If he had won that day, the beautiful brown Early March would have never stand at Haras du Saz, with Roger-Yves Simon, near Nantes.

Early March (center), finishes 2nd of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, between Oratorio (rail) and Layman (outside)

Winner of the Prix La Rochette (Gr.3) at 2, Early March did not really get over the fight he had in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, but still managed to get good group places up to the age of 4, and was then recruited from Khaled Abdullah to retire to stud in 2008. He covered no less than 92 mares his first season and had a book of around 80 mares every year, standing at a fee of € 2,300.

The first step was reached, he just had to do as well with his yearlings on the ring in 2010. Good stuff: 6 horses were sold at an average of € 10,000 (from  € 5,500 to € 17,000) in September in La Teste, and 3 others were purchased between € 18k and € 23k in October in deauville.

Early March at the Stallion Show on 15th January 2011 in Lion d'Angers

After this 2nd step, Early March just went through the 3rd one : the racetrack. He sired his first winner on 10th July in Vittel with Comment Dit, bought by Con Marnane at the Sales in Lion d'Angers in November 2010 where she made the top price for her sire among the 4 horses sold (8 entered) between €4,500 and € 1,000.

He just recorded a second winner on Tuesday 2nd August during the evening meeting on the brand new all-weather track at Pornichet with La Ultima Copa. Co-bred by Roger-Yves Simon with Bernard and Nicolas Ferrand, this filly was bought back, like 3 others Early March yearlings in December in Deauville, a disastrous yearling session which disappeared from the sales program since.

On the 3rd August, Early March totalises 11 runners, 2 winners and 8 places, and 1 unplaced in 2 runs.