Pommery a first Australian Group 1 scorer for No Nay Never with Caulfield strike

The splattering of Caulfield mud did nothing to taint the clinking of glasses emblazoned on the silks of Wednesday’s Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery, as her all-lady syndicate celebrated a champagne ride from champion jockey James McDonald to claim Classic success.

While their eight rivals swept wide turning for home, McDonald, tucked away on the rail on the daughter of No Nay Never, took the hitherto shunned inside track, stealing a three-length margin which ultimately proved decisive.

Revolutionary Miss, akin to her flashing run when runner-up in the Blue Diamond Stakes in February, finished a length and a half back in second, with New Zealand raider She’s Licketysplit coming through to claim third ahead of the $3.60 favourite Boogie Dancer.

“At some point in time they were going to overdo it [in travelling wide], and I reckon that time had come . . . I was very comfortable, it was so economical tucked away where I was,” said McDonald, winning his 71st Group 1 race.

The Chris Waller-trained Madame Pommery, whose name derives from the lavish French champagne house, Champagne Pommery, had shown glimpses of bubbling into life in three Princess Series’ runs this spring, but was upstaged by her stablemate Zougotcha, whom she finished second to in the Tea Rose Stakes, as well as Furious Stakes winner North Star Lass.

But, following an unimposing sixth on a wet track in the Flight Stakes at Randwick last time out, Madame Pommery - sent off a $9 chance - showed distinct improvement yesterday to prevail on a deteriorating Heavy 10 Caulfield surface.

Victory was her second in seven starts, having previously won only a two-year-old handicap at Rosehill in May.

“A fantastic ride [from James McDonald],” said Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth. “We were a little bit nervous as to whether she’d see out a tough mile, especially when the rain came, it threw some serious doubt into our minds.

“She got a gem of a ride, did no work early, only had to chime in at the 400 [metre mark] and she let down pretty impressively.

“As a stable, it’s not just this filly, we’ve now taken out the Flight Stakes [with Zougotcha] and the Thousand Guineas.

“She potentially didn’t live up to her best in the Flight Stakes, but she’s got good wet-track form and she’s an exciting prospect.”

Madame Pommery becomes the first Group 1 winner in Australia and the sixth worldwide for Coolmore stallion No Nay Never, who shuttled south to Jerrys Plains for four seasons between 2016 and 2019, leaving 201 live foals.

The result adds an antipodean punch to an extraordinary year for the US-bred No Nay Never, having sired the winners of two Group 1 juvenile races in Europe this season, as well as July Cup heroine Alcohol Free.

The stallion’s final crop of yearlings to pass through southern hemisphere auction houses this year averaged $84,862 (approx £48,000/€55,000), headlined by a NZ$260,000 colt at Karaka who is bound for Hong Kong.

Madame Pommery, a product of No Nay Never’s penultimate southern hemisphere-bred crop, was a $150,000 buy from the Coolmore draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and connections had an altogether different plan for the filly when an all-female group headed by Waller’s wife, Steph, assumed ownership.

Madame Pommery was a first Australian Group 1 winner for No Nay NeverCredit: Coolmore

Duckworth said: “It's an all-ladies syndicate and I'm a bit speechless really. Sophie [Baker] and Steph [Waller] put 20 ladies together hoping to run [for the $500,000 bonus] in the Magic Millions and now they've taken out the Thousand Guineas.

"It's above and beyond expectations. I think they would have all been happy to have a winner at Kembla or Geelong on a Thursday. To win here today is mind-blowing.

"She was almost a freebie," Duckworth added of the purchase price. "She's obviously worth a whole lot more than that now.

“Those colours might see some better days to come too. They’re famous colours now, Group 1-winning colours, so I’m absolutely rapt.”

Selected by Waller and trusted agent Guy Mulcaster, Madame Pommery is the fourth foal out of Exceed And Excel mare Cancel, herself a sister to Blue Diamond Stakes winner Earthquake, and half-sister to stakes winners Pandemic and Palomares.

Cancel was a $400,000 buy for Coolmore when in foal to Capitalist at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Her filly by Pierro sold for $200,000 at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale to Stephen Marsh Racing in New Zealand, while the mare foaled a colt by Wootton Bassett in August.

Trainer Andrew Forsman confirmed third-placed She’s Licketysplit will remain in Australia a little longer yet, as she targets the Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington on October 29.

“[Damian Lane] said she really just struggled to get around that track,” said Forsman. “As much as the heavy track conditions, but also the tight bends. She was in tight quarters a lot of the way, there was a bit of contact, lost her hind end and had to pick herself up and go again. The winner was too good but she was very brave.

“She’s very well and I think you put a line through today, we won’t judge her on what’s happened here and I think she’ll be much better back at Flemington on a decent track and we’ll press on to the Empire Rose.”

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