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| Staff Writer |
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Tamfana heads an impressive octet of Royal Ascot hopefuls for David Menuisier. Still, the French-born trainer admits that unseasonably dry conditions could derail his most ambitious assault on racing's premier meeting.
"The last few weeks have been frustrating," admits Menuisier.
"We started well this season, and now we're having an arid spell, which means that conditions are drier than normal. Some horses are feeling a little bit under the weather because of this."
"I like my horses to come in their own time. I don't like to pressure them. I want them to tell me when they're ready," he explains, encapsulating the philosophy that has taken him from four horses to nearly 90 in just over a decade.
"I know they have the same problem in France. I know they have the same problem in Newmarket. So, we are not on our own here," Menuisier observes.
Leading the charge is Tamfana, the daughter of Soldier Hollow, whose triumphant return to Newmarket spoiled Inspiral's retirement party last year in emphatic fashion. After finishing seventh in the Lockinge Stakes, connections face a tactical dilemma over her Royal Ascot target.
"She will stay in the race, but we have to see what the weather is like closer to the race," reveals Menuisier, whose star filly holds entries in both the Queen Anne Stakes and the Prince of Wales's Stakes.
"To be fair, going to Royal Ascot is great, but it's only great if you can win the race. I prefer to bypass Royal Ascot for the following week if she has a winning chance there."
This pragmatic approach extends to Tamfana's ground preferences, with Menuisier noting that "she found the ground to be a bit too quick at Newbury" in the Lockinge.
The filly also holds an entry "in a race in Ireland a week later for fillies only. So we have options," he adds, demonstrating his strategic planning.
The Royal Hunt Cup features a fascinating tactical battle between two contrasting Menuisier representatives. Toimy Son, the gelding who swept down the outside to power apparently in the Coral Golden Mile last year, can handle any ground conditions. His stablemate, Tribal Chief, however, presents a more complex puzzle.
"Toimy Son would go on any ground, because he goes from good to firm to good to soft ground," explains Menuisier.
"Tribal Chief is a bit different. He doesn't handle high-speed conditions. So, I could tell you that if the ground looked dry, I would not run. I would rather not run him and keep him for something else."
Toimy Son's versatility stems from his improved attitude after being gelded. "I bought him 18 months ago, and he wasn't doing anything last year," Menuisier recalls.
"We decided to geld him before an all-weather campaign. He had a couple of colic operations, so we gave him time and this season he's started to come back to form."
Tribal Chief's recent French experience serves as a cautionary tale. "I ran him last weekend in France, and the ground was quick, and he hated it. So, I won't do that twice. I won't make the mistake again," Menuisier states with typical candour.
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Master Builder, the late-maturing handicapper who finished runner-up at Epsom Downs in April, represents Menuisier's hopes in the Copper Horse Handicap.
"He's a late-maturing horse but has done very little wrong this season and looks to be improving," Menuisier observes.
Golden Ocean, the daughter of Blue Point who hasn't raced this season, represents Menuisier's patient approach. "She's only just turning the corner as we speak," notes Menuisier.
"I'm very pleased with her. She's a huge filly, so she took a lot of time in the two previous years to come to herself. The owners have been extremely patient."
"The filly is supposed to do a seasonal reappearance next week, and then we could consider going to Royal Ascot," he adds.
City Of Delight, unbeaten in two starts this season, brings American breeding to the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap. "I think he's craving to go up in distance right now," Menuisier reveals.
"Royal Ascot will be his first race over one mile four furlongs, and it will be exciting to see how much he finds with the new distance."
The gelding's preparation hit a minor setback recently. "Last week, he was due to run in a handicap over one mile two furlongs, but sadly, he had an abscess. He should be fine to go to Windsor on Monday, his last preparation race before Royal Ascot," Menuisier explains.
The gelding's American pedigree has Menuisier thinking beyond Royal Ascot. "He's 100% American bred, and I keep that at the back of my mind. I might decide to take him to Dubai for the whole carnival, from December onward next year," he reveals.
Menuisier's Dubai ambitions extend further, with City Of Delight leading his international plans. "I would very much like to take him to Dubai at the end of the season," he reveals.
"It would be lovely, because as we speak, I'm trying to have a team of five or six horses. I want to go with a strong team this year, especially because it's the 30th anniversary of the World Cup."
Menuisier responds, "I would be very open-minded when asked about expanding to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. I prefer to be based in Dubai, and then I will look at other opportunities."
His international perspective stems from experiences with three world-class mentors: Christiane Head-Maarek in France, Richard Mandella in California, and John Dunlop in England.
"From Criquette Head-Maarek I took everything," he reflects. "It's a philosophy; being aware of things. It's not a job you learn from books; it is nearly black magic."
This approach has seen him grow from humble beginnings to his current operation.
"We started with nothing because I started with only four horses, and we have about 85 to 90 horses now," he reflects.
His breakthrough came with Wonderful Tonight, which gave him his first Royal Ascot winner in 2021.
The trainer's philosophy extends to stable development. "We're trying to improve the quality all the time," he explains.
"We have about 50 2YOs in training, which is good, because they will carry the flag for the stable from the summer onward and next year."
"I could probably go to maybe 110, but I don't want any more than this," he states, showing his commitment to maintaining standards. "It's basically time because I like my horses to come in their own time," he adds. "I like to build their body first, and then they have the springs to tell me when they're ready to go faster."
Menuisier demonstrates rare transparency with owners. When Sunway, despite his talented performances, showed signs of needing a change, the trainer suggested alternatives.
"Last weekend I advised the owner to take the horse to America or Australia," he admits.
"When they're not improving anymore, sometimes a new trainer is as good as anything else. If I feel that the potential is there, but it's not quite happening with me, I have no shame in recommending the horse goes to somebody else."
"Then they repay you by sending more horses, because they appreciate transparency," Menuisier explains.
"That's what I say to owners - if they want to run for a quick budget return, I prefer them to take the horse to somebody else."
The remaining members of his Royal Ascot squad include Sunway, likely for the Hardwicke Stakes, and Rockin' The Boat, who targets the Sandringham Handicap. Each horse's needs dictate their preparation and participation, with Menuisier refusing to force square pegs into round holes.
As Royal Ascot approaches, Menuisier hopes for rain to help his ground-dependent stars. "The forecast shows a bit of rain in the next few days - I hope so because we need it badly," he admits, acknowledging that weather conditions could significantly impact his team's chances.
David Menuisier stands poised with one of his strongest ever teams. Whether weather conditions favour his ground-dependent stars remains to be seen, but his patient philosophy and commitment to each horse's needs have created a formidable challenge across multiple races.