THOSE GOLDEN MOMENTS This month we look back to August 21, 2004, when Mister Monet travelled to France to seek a prestigious prize HE summer of 2004 was a campaign in a handicap over a mile at great style by one and a half lengths from hugely exciting time for the Newmarket’s July meeting. Despite the four-year-old Muqbil. Johnston stable. Attraction niggling injuries which had delayed his The next logical step for Mister Monet, T had landed the unprecedented reappearance, it looked like being a now rated 106, was to target a Group 2 English Guineas/Irish Guineas/Coronation successful resumption, with the colt going event. Exactly 14 days after Haydock, the Stakes treble, while at the same time a three lengths clear with a furlong to run. Prix Guillaume d’Ornano fitted the bill juvenile named Shamardal was burning The stiff uphill finish on the July course nicely. up the Middleham gallops. caught him out, however, and he lost out Nine went to post for the race, But in midsummer, a Peintre Celebre by a short head to Kehaar. including two other British challengers colt within the string began to improve – From that point onwards, Mister from the Stoute and Channon yards. The rapidly! He was Mister Monet, and Mark Monet’s progression was stellar. In the main French challenger looked likely to Johnston identified what he thought space of a month he won three times. Off be Delfos, a three-time winner that year would be a perfect target for him. 92, he slammed Always First, who had been runner-up to the Prix du His eye was on the Prix Guillaume representing the Stoute/Fallon axis, by Jockey-Club third, Valixir, in Maisons- d’Ornano, a race established at Deauville four lengths in a Hamilton conditions Laffitte’s Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam last in 1952. It was initially a race for three- event over nine furlongs. Nine days later, time out. year-olds over 3,000 metres, and was off 98, he justified favouritism in winning The race went like clockwork. Jockey originally called the Prix de la Côte a decent Ascot handicap over 10 furlongs. Joe Fanning sent the colt to the head of Normande. The distance was reduced to Finally, and just two weeks later, he affairs from the outset and pushed his 2,000 metres (approximately a mile and a made a successful first venture into mount clear approaching the final furlong. quarter) for the second running of the pattern company, landing the Group 3 Running on strongly, Mister Monet scored race, and has been fixed at that distance Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock in by four lengths from Delfos, with Islero since 1960. Noir one and a half lengths back in third. When the European Pattern was To demonstrate the worth of the form, introduced in 1971, the race was awarded in his next two starts, Delfos won two Group 3 status, and then elevated to races over a mile and a quarter at Group 2 in 1983. It was renamed in 1987, Longchamp; first the Group 3 Prix du to honour Guillaume d’Ornano, an Prince d’Orange, and then the Prix industrialist and former owner of the d’Harcourt (Group 2). Haras de Manneville, a stud farm at Given a break, Mister Monet was Banneville-la-Campagne, near Deauville. entered for the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October. It says it all Upgrade about the improvement he had demonstrated that he was sent off at odds The race has long been a target for of 5/1 in a stellar field which included British-trained horses, with Guy Harwood horses of the calibre of Doyen, Azamour, and Paul Cole enjoying wins back in the Haafhd, Refuse To Bend and Chorist. 1980s. Mark hasn’t often targeted the Also in the field was his stable race, but back in 2004 it provided the companion, Lucky Story. perfect step up in class for his exciting Tragically, Mister Monet’s ‘story’ was colt who was very much on the upgrade to be anything but lucky. After half a mile that summer. or so, the colt broke down; he had Mister Monet, a colt by Peintre Celebre fractured his near-hind and had to be out of the Commanche Run mare, euthanised. Breyani, and owned by Syndicate 2002, had had two runs as a juvenile in 2003. T was a tragic end to a dramatic rise Third on his debut to Coolmore’s One to prominence. Mister Monet earned Cool Cat in a valuable York maiden in I a Timeform rating of 123 that year; June, he stepped up from six furlongs to his official rating rose from 92 to 117 in seven at Sandown in July and turned a just five runs. maiden race into something of a But during those few weeks in the procession. summer of 2004, culminating in that Allotted an opening mark of 92, Mister Deauville success, Mister Monet’s star Mister Monet and Deirdre Johnston Monet kicked off his three-year-old shone brightly at Kingsley House. on Middleham Low Moor in 2004 31.