Owner : Star Racing
Pedigree
KaldounSmadoun
Mossma
Champagne Agent
2006 bay gelding
Cricket Ball
Madame Jean
Nativelee
The family
Champagne Agent
is one of 3 winners (to date) out of Madame Jean, who herself was a
winner as a 3yr-old on the flat in France.
Madame Jean's dam, Nativelee, was unraced but is the dam of 12
winners from 14 foals. Several of these were black type performers
including the filly Gay Native, winner of 9 races on the flat
including Listed class, Phrygien, 8-time winner including Listed.
Several others over jumps include Denham Red and Bongo Fury, a 7
time hurdle winner for David Pipe a decade ago.
Getting back to Madame Jean, she's bred a couple of black type jumping geldings in That's Rhythm (by Pistolet Blue) and Greydoun (by Smadoun).
About the sire
Smadoun (grey horse, born 1990) raced in France from 2-6 years and proved himself a useful performer over 6 - 12 furlongs. He was a winner at Listed class, being also placed at Group 3 level.
He was retired to stud in 1997, and has sired several very good flat
horses, the best of whom was Chichiastenango winner of the Group 1
Grande Prix de Paris.
As a jumps sire, Smadoun's record is quite impressive headed by top
class chaser Nacarat, Alan Kings's classy Smad Palace, the very
useful Le Bec and Henderson's progressive hurdler Theinval.
Smadoun was still in active service in 2015, where he stood at the Haras Des Sablonnets stud in France.
Champagne Agent is a good looking sort who realised €58,000 as a 3 year old store at the Derby Sale (Tattersalls Ire) in 2009, from which he joined Willie Mullins stable.
He showed very useful form in bumpers, but rather frustratingly (a sign of things to come) he finally won as a 6yr old at his sixth attempt, this coming in a 20 runner 2m 3f event at Cork in 2012.
He continued that vein (that is, frustrating) over hurdles for Ireland's top trainer showing useful form over hurdles and fences at 6 and 7 being placed numerous times without getting his head in front. Star Racing acquired Champagne Agent in the summer of 2013 and he raced for Lucinda for a couple of seasons before switching to our yard at the start of 2015.
Whilst his form in Scotland and England has not matched the heights of his Irish runs, he's run several races that give hope of a revival in form. Of course, all this time he has been tumbling down the handicap, and these days he seems to enjoy going chasing in small-ish field sizes rather than the hustle and bustle of hurding.
Best suited by some give in the ground, and a distance around 2½ miles, his owners have shown a lot a patience in giving the gelding every chance to prove he's a winner again, and none would deserve more.
| Season | win | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | other | |
| 2010-11 | NH Flat | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2011-12 | NH Flat | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2012-13 | hurdles | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2013-14 | hurdles | 1 | ||||
| 2013-14 | chases | 1 | 4 | |||
| 2014-15 | hurdles | 2 | ||||
| 2014-15 | chases | 1 | 5 | |||
| 2015-16 | chases | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
