5 Nov 2022
Tavistock four-year-old French Emperor provided his Singapore owners Aramco Racing with a thrill when landing the Twitter Trophy (1600m) on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.
Prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, French Emperor enjoyed a perfect run under Jamie Kah, racing midfield off a solid tempo and the gelding was presented at the right time, going on to score narrowly from Beltoro and Worthily.
“It was a beautiful ride,” Price said.
“He’s a benchmark horse. We’ve just got to place him right and he can keep winning.
“I think a mile is a good tempo but he has to come back and get a bit of cover. Any further back and he might pull so I think if we keep him in the right grade we’ll all be happy.”
French Emperor has won three races in a row for the Price-Kent team, and five races in total, having won twice when prepared by David Payne.
The gelding has now won in excess of A$200,000 from his 13 starts for Aramco Racing’s Chua Song Ru from Singapore, and can continue to go through the grades.
“I really wanted to wait a bit longer but I could feel them coming,” winning jockey Jamie Kah said.
“He needed room and he needed to be in a spot where he can win so I had to just pop him off a bit early but he was tough late.
“He’s not a sit-sprint horse but he also needs to be covered up so it was a bit tricky on the turn for what I wanted to do but I trusted him and he was fierce.
“He’s a good horse going forward and they might be able to take the ear muffs off soon. So far he’s doing everything right and it’s good to start the day off like that.
“I know this horse inside out now and he’s improved dramatically this time.”
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 late Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock and the Fastnet Rock mare Special Memories, who won on two occasions and showed a touch of quality when fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m)
Special Memories is a sister to the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) heroine Unforgotten and their dam is the Galileo mare Memories Of You, a half-sister to the Gr.1 French 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner Matiara. – NZ Racing Desk