Grandouet Profile
Grandouet is one of the best young horses currently in the Nicky Henderson stables. Grandouet is a four-year-old Bay Gelding bred between French horses Al Namix and Virginia River.
Nicky Henderson is extremely experienced in raising horses from a very young age and turning them into solid performers over jumps and long distances. Grandouet has only raced four times but these races have produced two wins and a second place finish.
Career of Grandouet
The career of Grandouet began on March 9 2010 over 15 furlongs at Enghien. Grandouet finished third in a field of 13 runners and impressed with what looked like a raw and youthful energy and enthusiasm.
The career of Grandouet continued in a positive fashion when Barry Geraghty led the horse to a fifth place finish at Wetherby in October 2010 in a Grade 1 race. A 200/1 outsider had the race of a lifetime to beat the rest of the field.
The first place in the career of Grandouet came at the back end of 2010 over 16 furlongs at Cheltenham. Grandouet was beaten by the second favourite that went on to win by 15 lengths.
The first win in the career of Grandouet came over 16 furlongs at Newbury on December 29 2010. The experience of Tony McCoy helped Grandouet to win by five lengths in a high paced race.
Strengths of Grandouet
The strengths of Grandouet have developed over time because the horse looked, and in some cases still does, very raw. The best thing about Grandouet is that the Bay Gelding loves to just run like a headless chicken throughout a race.
The best thing for any jockey is not having to urge a horse to pick up the pace or to get a horse up for a run. Grandouet has a very powerful and energetic attitude at all times.
Weaknesses of Grandouet
There are one or two major weaknesses of Grandouet that will have to be addressed if the horse is going to have a long career in National Hunt racing. The biggest of these weaknesses is that Grandouet struggles in races where the pace is too high.
The four-year-old is vulnerable to attacks coming from the rear of a field and any horse with a strong stamina and finish could claw Grandouet back at the vital moment. The horse often looks exhausted after a middle distance and fast paced race.
Grandouet Form in 2011
Grandouet form in 2011 has so far been very good although the horse has only been in one race this year. This race was over a two mile distance at Ascot in a field of nine runners.
On this occasion Barry Gergahty got the style of the horse perfectly correct as Grandouet was held up in the middle of the pack before chasing the leaders for a win by six lengths. This allowed the horse to keep some energy in reserve.
Grandouet form in 2011 will only get better and better if the same style is adopted at the Cheltenham Festival 2011and in future races.