What began as a spectacular start to the month of December for French stallion Love You became a sensational one last Friday night, with Franco-American’s stock dominating a harness racing premier night at Alexandra Park in Auckland.
There were four trotting races at Alexandra Park, and Love You’s progeny won three of them, through new sensation Monbet in the feature event, the Group II Rosslands Lyell Creek Stakes while La Reveur and Yagunnkissmeornot were also winners.
And in the other race Love You’s offspring were second (Courcheval) and third and (Lothario).
But it was Monbet’s performance in the feature which stole the show, prompting his driver Ricky May, the winner of seven NZ Trotting Cups, and both the Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup, to declare the horse to be the best trotter he has driven.
“Stylish Monarch was a good horse, but this one is on another level, but right from the start I knew he was going to be so good,” said May, who first drove him in a trial as a two-year-old, where he says the horse’s ability was immediately apparent.
May says Monbet has several attributes which make him so good. “His gait is number one, he has a fantastic gait, from the first time I got on him as a two-year-old I knew he was going to be great by the way he went.
Monbet has a pretty good attitude to racing, and has plenty of stamina, which was really tested for the first time in the Lyell Creek Stakes, says May, where the Greg Hope-trained 4YO was forced to sit parked for most of the journey outside no other than two-time Dominion Handicap winner Master Lavros, but still had the ability to go clear at the finish.
Love You's stock have been firing at Auckland, where trotting races make up about 40 percent of the card, with Courcheval and La Maitre Dix winning at the start of the month, and La Reveur and Yagunnakissmeornot winning the following week, the latter in a quinella with another Love You product, Lothario the full brother to champion Habibti.
And at Addington on Friday night, Bordeaux, made it two wins for the month and three wins in four starts for Phillip Iggo.
Love You’s coming of age in Down Under trotting scene is great news for New Zealand breeders, where the stallion’s semen recently became available again through Haras des Trotters.
A champion sire in six countries, Love You has not been available so far in Australia, but his tiny numbers of imported progeny have already proved successful with Amore Stride, Topnotch Jewel and Kvintet Avenger winning at Group I level and the exciting mare Arboe, a Group 2 winner about to resume racing shortly.
His progeny have won top races all over the world including the Prix d’Amerique (Royal Dream), Elitloppet (Nahar) and Trotting Masters Final (Ed You).
Love You’s offspring have been well to the fore this month too in France as the lucrative Winter Season gets into full swing.
Bellina Josselyn won the rich Group II Prix Ariste Hemard this month, while Village Mystic was third in the Prix d’Amerique qualifier, Prix du Bourbonnais, earning points for the second straight race and looks certain to make the field.
Love You is also starting to make his name as a broodmare sire, with the most talked about horse in Europe, Bold Eagle being out of a Love You mare.
Rosslands Lyell Creek Stakes (Mobile Trot)
Harnesslink Media