Fame & Glory ? Fame & Montjeu!

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By ARSENE ABITBOL - 12 May 2009 - 22.40 pm
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Justifiably so, the son of Montjeu was cut to 5-2 favourite after he outclassed his rivals
in the Group 2 Derrinstown Stud at Leopardstown on Sunday. Totesport, William Hill and Victor Chandler took no chances in Fame's Derby bid.

Introducing Fame and Glory as 'the son of Montjeu ' was intentional. Why is that? Winning this Derby trial for the seventh time in eleven years must be pleasing for Coolmore, but not overly thrilling, perhaps. What must be thrilling though, is knowing that they're probably training a truly special horse, and Seamis Heffernan's comments on the RacingPost ''I've always thought that he was a special horse'' comfort that impression; so we would like to compare his performance with previous Derby trial winners, who were under Ballydoyle's care.

Archipenko (QE II Cup, ShaTin), Yeats (Coronation Cup, GoldCup) scored there and so did champions, Dylan Thomas (Irish Derby, Arc), HighChapparal (Epsom Derby) and Galileo (Epsom Derby). What's even more special in Fame and Glory's victory is that, first of all, he has been rated as highly as High Chapparal and Galileo, given a rating of 119 (RPR) exactly. And, secondly, he did nothing but a demolition job, relegating the opposition five lengths away. That's the first couple of facts.

Now, the third fact and its conclusion are even more exciting. Fame and Glory is by one of the best thoroughbreds in the world, in the shape of Montjeu, out of Gryada, by Shirley Heigths.
The third fact is that Gryada's progeny include Grampian, whose career's peak is a 5th in the KingGeorge V Handicap Stakes at Ascot racecourse. Others include, Guaranda; a modest third out of five, in a Listed Race at Salisbury and, Yummy Yummy, a mediocre Handicapper rated 79 (RPR), as well as Gaze and Gryskirk, rated 70 & 69, both rather hopeless, compared to their half-brother, Fame and Glory.

The natural thought is that, so far, and I'll conclude on that; Aidan O'Brien's best three-year-old has not inherited much of his dam Gryada, if barely anything...
Therefore, we can't help but think, that Fame and Glory, is the spitting image of a racehorse, who carved his name in the history of racing, a World Champion colt : The son of Sadler's Wells : Montjeu.


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Selection : Fame and Glory @ 3.95 with Betfair.
Biggest threat : ?
Ousider : ?

Sources : www.racingpost.com