By Sean Cronin
Saint-Cloud's Prix Chapeau Rouge maiden had gone the way of subsequent top-level performers Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns), Alcantor (New Bay) and Arapaho (Lope De Vega) in recent years and Christopher Head trainee Avec Toi (No Nay Never) added his name to an illustrious list with a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, performance in Tuesday's latest renewal of the seven-furlong newcomers' test.
Coolmore and Westerberg's Kentucky-bred becomes the 14th Rising Star for his sire.
“This is our first two-year-old winner of the year, I think he's a very good colt and I must thank Coolmore for entrusting him to me,” commented Head. “We don't often get the chance to work with horses like him. He has real power, which he was already showing in the mornings, but we shall stay at the seven-furlong distance for now. There's a race back here at the end of the month and then we'll see him in the good races in August at Deauville.”
The 11-5 favourite, and trainer's first runner for the Coolmore partners, was swiftly into stride from the outside stall and held sway throughout. Stirred into action up front with 500 metres remaining, he powered clear of toiling rivals to take an unassailable lead into the final furlong and coasted to the line in hand to easily outclass Ciceron (Lope De Vega) by a geared-down four lengths.
Avec Toi is the second of three foals produced by G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix Vermeille third La Joconde (Frankel), herself kin to G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Authorized) and the dual Group 3 winner Grosvenor Square (Galileo).
La Joconde is out of a dual-winning half to stakes-winning G1 Prix du Jockey Club third Motamarris (Le Havre) and the stakes-placed duo Riqa (Dubawi) and Saraaba (New Approach).
Riqa, in turn, is the dam of three-time Group 3 victrix Tantheem (Teofilo) and the dual Group-placed Monumental (Kingman), and her descendants include the eight-time Group 1-placed G1 Dubai Turf hero Facteur Cheval (Ribchester), who ran third in Milan's G3 Premio Presidente Della Repubblica later in the afternoon.
La Joconde, who has a yearling colt by Justify to come, was bred back to Justify last year.
(M. Guyon – Chr. Head) s'impose dans un excellent style pour sa 1ère sortie, dans le Prix Chapeau Rouge (réservé aux inédits) à Saint-Cloud
C'est un fils de et (3e Yorkshire Oaks et Qatar Prix Vermeille 2021) pic.twitter.com/QV7ANEtWB4
— Equidia (@equidia) June 2, 2026
3rd-Saint-Cloud, €27,400, Mdn, 6-2, unraced 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:30.41, sf.
AVEC TOI, c, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: La Joconde (Ire) (G1SP-Eng & Fr, SP-Ire), by Frankel (GB)
2nd Dam: Wadyhatta (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire)
3rd Dam: Thamarat (GB), by Anabaa
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,700. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Mrs John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Orpendale, Chelston (Ireland), Wynatt & Westerberg Ireland (KY); T-Christopher Head; J-Maxime Guyon.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
