10 Sep 2021French Emperor is far from the finished article, but he looks to have stacks of ability and the son of our ill-fated stallion Tavistock appeals as a three-year-old to follow.
Trained by David Payne, French Emperor was third on debut earlier this month on the Kensington track at Randwick and at Goulburn this afternoon he was again green, but that didn’t prevent him from breaking his maiden.
He travelled strongly in third spot before improving wide near the turn and, despite veering out in the run home, was still a dominant winner for apprentice Reese Jones.
French Emperor was bred by Carol Marshall and sold to HBL Racing for $200,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale where he was presented through the Curraghmore draft.
He is a son of the Fastnet Rock mare Special Memories, who won on two occasions and showed a touch of quality when fourth in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
She is a sister to the G1 Australian Oaks heroine Unforgotten and their dam is the Galileo mare Memories Of You, a half-sister to the G1 French 1000 Guineas winner Matiara.