CLEVERLY-NAMED mare Juste Un Clou was a “jewel” for her trainer Stephen Hill at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
In giving her local trainer his first victory in two and a half years, she also “nailed” punters in the process by breaking through at $41.
Jeff Penza’s dashing ride, swerving back to the inside in the last 200m after unsuccessfully trying to find room out wider, enabled Juste Un Clou to snatch victory in the F&M Maiden Plate (1200m) from Reducio ($6) and Hurry Miss ($12).
Hill paid $140,000 for the now four-year-old daughter of Brazen Beau and Lady Cartier at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale.
She got her name as Cartier is one of the world’s finest and most distinguished jewellery brands – and Juste Un Clou is one of the highly-acclaimed Cartier bracelets.
Juste Un Clou is French for “just a nail”, and the expensive bracelet is distinctively nail shaped.
The equine Juste Un Clou is a real “family horse”, being raced by the trainer’s wife Kristen and the couple’s daughters Hayley and Courtney.
Unfortunately none of the women were on course to see their mare break through at tasty odds.
“They were scattered everywhere,” Hill said. “One of our daughters is at Port Douglas on holidays, and my wife was at home looking after our other horses.
“I was surprised at the mare’s price as she had finished a good second at Kembla Grange at her previous start after also making her run along the inside when there wasn’t a lot of room either.
“She doesn’t mind putting her head in there.”
Hill did not bother racing Juste Un Clou as a two-year-old because of immaturity.
“I didn’t intend starting her as a two-year-old anyway, and she simply wasn’t ready until midway through her three-year-old season.”
Juste Un Clou made her debut when a close third in a Goulburn Maiden (1000m) on December 15 and was spelled after one more run when fifth in a Super Maiden (1200m) at Moruya in January.
She kicked off again at Hawkesbury on July 11 in a 1000m Maiden on heavy ground, and the breakthrough came at her sixth career start.
Hill has been training for four decades, and had stables at Kembla Grange before selling them to the iconic late local trainer Gwenda Markwell.
He now trains from his farm at Marshall Mount, where he has an excellent set-up.
“I scaled back to focus on developing a business venture for six or seven years, and have sold that,” Hill said.
“As a result, I haven’t had many runners in the last few years (he won three races from 17 starters in 2021-22, and took only eight horses to the races in the following two seasons).”
Hill’s previous winner was Aidenabet, a gelding by Cox Plate winner Adelaide, who scored in a Benchmark 58 Handicap (1400m) at Goulburn on February 6, 2022.
“After selling the business, I went to the Easter sale looking to buy a filly who might win races and boost her value as a broodmare,” he explained.
“Hopefully we’re on the right track.”
Juste Un Clou certainly has a pedigree to boast her broodmare credentials.
Her granddam, the Canny Lad mare Shantha’s Choice’s first foal was the brilliant Redoute’s Choice (by Danehill), who followed his outstanding racetrack career (four of his five wins from only 10 starts were at Group 1 level) by becoming a super stallion before his death in 2019.
“I’ve got four horses in work at present, but Juste Un Clou is the only one in racing trim,” Hill said.
“The others are a Time Test filly (La Lavandou) I bought in New Zealand, a Charge Forward mare (On The Attack), and a Pariah gelding.
“They are all unraced, but not far away.”
. Hill’s success with Juste Un Clou was one of three local winners at the meeting.
Leading Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price scored with well-supported Fugitiva ($2.80 favorite) in the Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1200m), defeating the Mitch Beer stablemates Artful Persuasion and Suspect, both $8 chances.
Beer later won the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m) with the impressive Apollo Mission ($4.80) who romped home to clinch his third win from his last four starts, leaving the Price pair Satness ($9.50) and Extreme Freedom ($8) behind in fourth and fifth places.
. HOOFNOTE: There is a real Newcastle connection to Juste Un Clou.
Her dam Lady Cartier is by Fastnet Rock, whom Paul Perry won both the Group 1 Lightning at Flemington and Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in 2005.
Lady Cartier also is a half-sister to Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Deep Field gelding Rustic Steel, who won the inaugural The Big Dance in 2022 along with The Coast at Gosford and Scone Cup that year, and Group 3 Newcastle Stakes earlier this year.
Story John Curtis, September 1, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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