Wootton Bassett's 220K Colt A New TDN Rising Star In The Arqana Series Des Poulains

Making an instant impact in Thursday's Arqana Series Des Poulains at Deauville, Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald and John Baxter's Maranoa Charlie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}–Koubalibre {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) became his sire's ninth TDN Rising Star. Out of a half-sister to the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the €220,000 Arqana Deauville August graduate soon had control on the front end under Aurelien Lemaitre. Sent into the clear passing the furlong pole, the Christopher Head-trained 23-10 favourite registered an impressive 3 1/2-length success from Mighty Boy (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). He joins the sire's burgeoning TDN Rising Star haul which includes the top-level performers Unquestionable (Fr) and River Tiber (Ire).

Laurent Benoit bought the winner at Arqana last year and was on hand to say, “It is a good cross with Wootton Bassett and Galileo and he has always showed good quality so Christopher was convinced he would run a good race. There is speed in the pedigree and he ought to have a nice future.”

Christopher Head added, “He has a lot of speed and he's done very well recently so this was a good opportunity. He is a nice horse with a good stride and he was quite green in the stalls, but it doesn't worry me that much and that will come with time and racing. Stamina-wise, he should be able to get a mile. He'll come on for the run and was very good on the straight course.”

🏅Les @InfoArqana Series des Poulains 2024 reviennent à 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚 (@lemaitre60LA)

Le pensionnaire de @HeadRacing1 s'impose assez facilement devant Mighty Boy et Brise Noir. pic.twitter.com/xirHU6pwYm

— Equidia (@equidia) August 15, 2024

Pedigree Notes
Maranoa Charlie is the second of two current foals out of Koubalibre, whose aforementioned half-sibling Tiggy Wiggy was a precocious sensation who also captured the G2 Lowther Stakes but who stayed well enough to be third in the G1 1,000 Guineas. She produced Ballydoyle's ill-fated TDN Rising Star Year Of The Tiger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was third in the G1 Futurity Trophy, while the family also features another who was a force to be reckoned with as a juvenile in the G3 Norfolk Stakes winner Masta Plasta (Ire) (Mujadil).

2nd-Deauville, €160,000, Debutantes, 8-15, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:24.01, gd.
MARANOA CHARLIE (FR), c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
     1st Dam: Koubalibre (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Kheleyf's Silver (Ire), by Kheleyf
     3rd Dam: Silver Arrow, by Shadeed
(€220,000 Ylg '23 ARAUG). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €80,000. O-Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald & John Baxter; B-Haras d'Etreham, Riviera Equine SARL & Gestut Zur Kuste AG (FR); T-Christopher Head. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.