A KEMBLA MAIDEN WINNER WITH FRENCH FLAIR

TRES bien!

Lightly-raced Cap D’ail, the horse with a French influence, gave Kembla Grange trainer Diane Poidevin Laine a new season breakthrough at her home track yesterday.

And he put up a “very good” performance in taking the 4YO & Up Maiden Handicap (1400m) after having to race wide at only his fourth start.

Ridden by Jon Grisedale, Cap D’ail ($3.30 favorite) wore down My Star ($13, with Mayleigh ($4.60) finishing late to grab third placing.

A four-year-old son of Exceedance, he is out of the unraced mare Iadore Parisienne (by Lights Of Paris), hence his name.

Cap D’ail is a seaside commune in south-east France.

Owner Michael Coleman bred the gelding, who is the third foal of his dam.

The first foal (a Thunder Fire filly) was deceased after birth, and the second foal named Argue (by So You Think) is now a six-year-old, and has raced only once, finishing well back in a Nowra Maiden Plate (1400m) on December 14 last year when a $101 outsider.

He is back in work with Poidevin Laine, who also has last season’s Kembla Grange Horse Of

The Year Audenzia back in her stable after a break.

She deserves full credit for getting Cap D’ail back to the races and winning with him after he made an inglorious debut at Kembla Grange in January when he failed to finish in a Midway Maiden Plate (1300m), and pulled up 3/5 lame in the off foreleg.

“Cap D’ail is straight legged and knocked his knees,” Poidevin Laine explained.

“We gave him a break and got him going again.

“He did a good job to win yesterday, especially with 60kg topweight (conceding between 1.5kg and 8kg to his rivals).

“I will be waiting to see how Cap D’ail is treated now. They (RacingNSW handicapping panel) whacked him with plenty of weight after placings at his first two starts back.”

Cap D’ail carried 59kg when a first-up third in a 1200m Maiden Handicap at Kembla Grange on August 15 as a $101 bolter, then had the same weight (but was at much shorter odds, $15) when runner-up to Sky Deck (who won again yesterday) in a CG&E Maiden Plate over the same distance a fortnight later. STORY BY JOHN CURTIS, SETPEMBER 13, 2026. PIC BRADLEY PHOTOS.