THE REAL VIOLETTE

The Real Violette Szabo

When you name the filly after a secret agent whose name is virtually a byword for extreme bravery, you have to hope that the name proves appropriate. Yet Violette--named after Violette Szabo, whose story was told in the film Carve Her Name With Pride--had people questioning her courage when she suffered a narrow defeat on her second start in June.

The Racing Post's analyst commented: "She stayed on well in the end but flashed her tail on a couple of occasions when asked to go about her business and there may well be a temperament problem
surfacing."

I am never too worried about tail-swishing in a filly, especially if she has Mill Reef or Shirley Heights in her pedigree, as many tail-flashers do (Violette is an exception to this rule). One of my earliest memories in racing is a tiny filly called Gwen, who used her tail almost like a propeller. It didn't stop her winning seven of her first 11 starts and finishing second in the ‘63 1000 Guineas.

I'm delighted to say that Violette is now thoroughly justifying her distinguished name. She too has displayed heart-warming enthusiasm and admirable finishing speed in winning her last two races, a valuable nursery handicap at Doncaster and the G3 Firth of Clyde S. at Ayr. Her record now stands at four wins and two seconds from seven starts, and she seems to be improving
with every start.

Incidentally, Violette's dam, Odette, was also named in honor of a famous secret agent (perhaps because her own dam is the stealthy-sounding On Tiptoes). Odette-- who once described Violette as "the bravest of us all"-- constantly defied torture at the hands of the Gestapo.

At this stage, I had better declare a vested interest. Violette, together with the very promising Listed winner Nidhaal and impressive debut winner Star Cluster, is one of the encouraging number of winners emerging from the first crop by Juddmonte's champion miler OBSERVATORY.

Toward the end of 2001, I was asked to appear in a promotional video for OBSERVATORY. My normal reaction to this type of request is to run a mile, in view of the potential pitfalls of lending one's name to
a product. But on this occasion I did have faith in the "product."

As I pointed out in the script: "OBSERVATORYwasn't just a champion, he was a world champion. The panel of handicappers which compiled the International Classifications for the year 2000
placed him top of the mile category, ahead of such as King's Best, the spectacular [G1] 2000 Guineas winner, War Chant, winner of the [GI] Breeders' Cup Mile, and all of the leading older milers."

His rating reflected his excellent effort in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., in which he gamely ended Giant's Causeway's quest for six consecutive Group-1 victories." This assessment thoroughly vindicated a prediction made by Raceform at the end of OBSERVATORY's two-year-old campaign," the script continued. "'He looks a very exciting prospect for next season,' they ventured after the grandson of Mr. Prospector had improved his juvenile record to two very smoothly gained successes from three starts.

The chances are that OBSERVATORY would have done even better but for being forced onto the sidelines
for 12 weeks by a throat infection after he had made an impressive debut at the end of June."

One of the things I admired about OBSERVATORY was his enthusiasm, which helped him gain another Group 1 victory in the 2001 Prix d'Ispahan. According to his rider Richard Hughes, he "refused to
be beaten. He just wouldn't let the runner- up get by."

I was also encouraged by a link between OBSERVATORY and Warning, who sired no fewer than 27 group winners during his time at Banstead Manor Stud. Both Warning and OBSERVATORY won the Queen Elizabeth II S. and both were produced by daughters of Roberto.

"One of OBSERVATORY's main attractions," I said, "is that his pedigree and performances both suggest that he will be able to provide breeders with a wide spectrum of performers, ranging from fast two-year-old to middle-distance performers."

Well, he is certainly producing the juvenile winners and I see no reason to change my mind about the possibility of middle-distance winners next year. A lot will depend on what type of mare OBSERVATORY receives. In Odette, he received a mare very well qualified to produce an above-average two-year-old. This daughter of the sprinter-miler Pursuit of Love comes from a female line, tracing to Hyperion's dam Selene, which has served the Nicholson/Rowles family well for several generations. Violette's fifth dam, Haymaking, was a talented juvenile who developed into a winner of the Coronation S. over a mile and the Nassua S. overan extra quarter mile.

Violette and Haymaking are linked by Odette, On Tiptoes, Pennyweight and Hayloft. Odette, a sprint winner, now has two group winners among her first four foals, the other being last year's G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Silca's Gift (by Cadeaux Genereux). In winning the five-furlong Queen Mary S.,

On Tiptoes showed remarkable speed for a filly sired by an Irish Derby winner, Shareef Dancer, from Pennyweight, a daughter of the Derby and Irish Derby winner Troy. The likely source of that speed was Hayloft, winner of the G3 Molecomb S. over five furlongs before becoming the dam of the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Wassl.

The question now is whether Violette will stay well enough to become a contender for the 1000 Guineas. Her half sister Silca's Gift finished a creditable eighth in last year's Classic before reverting to sprinting, but OBSERVATORY possessed more stamina than Silca's Gift's sire, so Violette has a better chance of lasting the distance.

Date: 20 September 2005