'French horses aren't inherently superior to ours' – Simon Cox proves a point or two with his homebred Auteuil Listed winner

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On this occasion, Martin Stevens speaks to Simon Cox about homebred In Between Days and her sire, St Leger hero Logician – subscribers can get more great insight every Monday to Friday.

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Simon Cox, a member of the syndicate that secured St Leger hero Logician for Shade Oak Stud in Shropshire, is doing a fine job of showing other breeders the way with the son of Frankel.

He set out to demonstrate that Logician can throw a forward and first-class talent by putting In Between Days, a homebred three-year-old filly from the sire’s introductory crop, in training with Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm in France, where the racing programme caters for early-bird hurdlers and chasers.

It is very much a case of mission accomplished, as In Between Days has won both her starts by wide margins: first in a competitive maiden hurdle at Auteuil last month, and then in a hotly contested renewal of the Listed Prix Girofla at the same track on Saturday, wowing the French press in the process.

Cox, a master brewer by trade who served as European president and CEO of Molson Coors until he retired at the end of 2021, says the idea emerged from discussions with the other investors in the sire, namely Peter Hockenhull, Liz Lucas, Bryan Mayoh and Richard Newland.

“The shareholders thought that Logician’s early progeny were looking quite precocious and between us we said that we should make an effort to put a few of them in training in France, to show what they could do,” he explains. “As we all know, there’s no opportunities for three-year-olds to run over obstacles in Britain in the spring. There’s simply no programme for them here.

“It made sense on at least two levels. It got them educated and on the track a lot quicker than if we'd put them down the traditional British way of developing horses – which, it should be said, does suit some – and, if they turned out to be smart, it would also show the sire in a good light.”

Logician has certainly been shown in a good light, even if it is a narrow one for the time being. The unbeaten In Between Days is the first and so far only runner from his debut crop, which numbers 142 three-year-olds.

It is the perfect advert with a few months of National Hunt coverings still to go and his first stores set to sell in the coming weeks.

“In Between Days is a sample size of one, we’re well aware of that, but you don’t mind that first runner being a black-type winner in France at three,” says Cox.

“I wouldn’t want to be quoted as saying he’s going to be the next big thing on the basis of one filly, but if you look at the quality of his other stock as well, you can’t help but be encouraged. 

“I’ve probably seen more of Logician’s output than 99 per cent of the breeding fraternity, and they do tend to have fantastic looks, plenty of scope and good temperaments. I’ve sent him plenty of my own mares because I genuinely think he’s got the potential to be a top sire.”

In Between Days hasn’t just proved a point about Logician for the sire’s investors. She has also shown that British-breds can outdo the French on their home turf if they are given the same early advantages.

That’s just as important, really, as all stallion masters in Britain need their clients close to home to have confidence in the wider popularity of the domestic product in order to sell nominations.

Nathalie Jolie, a Nathaniel filly bred by Scarlett Knipe and Simon Davies in Britain and purchased by her French connections from the Goffs Doncaster National Hunt Breeders Showcase, made a similar case when she bolted up in the Prix Wild Monarch for fillies at Auteuil on the weekend before last.

Simon Cox: "If you look at the quality of his other stock as well, you can’t help but be encouraged"

Cox, the chair of the TBA National Hunt committee, must be feeling rather pleased that the nature of British jumps horses has been shown to be as good as the French – better, in the case of In Between Days, in fact – if they are given the same nurture?

“I guess you’re pushing at an open door with that question but, yes, I really do think it’s the case that French horses are not inherently superior to ours on breeding or physique, but they are given better development pathways and better early racing opportunities,” he says. 

“If you look at the results of all the Grade 1 races in Britain and Ireland run in the last ten or 15 years there’s a very strong bias towards French horses, we’re all well aware of that, but I’m sure it’s not a pedigree issue – and I like to think a few of us are starting to show that through actions instead of just talking about it.

“Look at In Between Days: she was almost the only British-bred on the whole racecard at Auteuil on Saturday. It’s not just her, though. If you spoke to David Futter at Yorton Farm he’d tell you that loads of horses he’s bred, many with nice pages but not superstar pedigrees, have also gone to France and outperformed their market value against French-bred horses.”

In Between Days is now set to have a break before returning in the autumn for a prep race to put her on point for the Prix Magalan Bryant, a Grade 2 hurdle for three-year-old fillies at Auteuil in November. It is not out of the question that she might race in Britain at some point in 2027.

Cox, a champion of British breeding, admits to feeling a little conflicted about racing across the Channel.

“Noel and Amanda are fantastic to deal with," he says. "We went to Chantilly a few months ago to watch the horses school, which was wonderful, and we’ve now had a couple of fun weekends in Paris, which isn’t exactly a terrible city to go racing in.

“But we put the horses in training in France primarily to show there’s nothing wrong with British-breds – far from it, we’ve got loads of great horses – and it's just that we haven't found the right pathway to optimise their quality on the racecourse at home.

“Look, I’m a British breeder, all bar one of my mares are based at Shade Oak Stud, and I love British racing. I didn’t necessarily set out in breeding to race my homebreds in France. It’s just that I firmly believe that the French system of development is far better than ours and I don’t think I’m going to get the best out of my horses if I just plough the usual furrow in Britain.”

Noel George, who trains in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm, saddled In Between Days to win at Listed level

Cox’s tremendous feat of breeding such a high-class filly from his own stallion, and the pride and pleasure he has derived in accomplishing it, shouldn’t be forgotten just because he is a figure involved in racing politics and his achievement touches upon contentious industry issues. It's only fair to hear about that too.

“In Between Days is the sort of horse you’re trying to breed when you first go about finding suitable mares and planning matings for them,” he says. “What makes it so much better is that she’s out of Mia’s Storm, who became my first mare when I bought her out of Alan King’s yard relatively speculatively a few years ago.

“Mia’s Storm was always my favourite, I absolutely bloody loved her. Sadly, she died foaling a full-sister to In Between Days in 2024. That’s the only regret of the whole story.”

The much-missed Mia’s Storm was by Shirocco’s Listed-winning full-brother September Storm out of the Zaffaran mare Letitia’s Gain, and was sent out by King to score at Listed level both over hurdles and over fences.

In Between Days is the mare’s only winner, although one half-sister, Charlotte Sometimes (by Telescope), was highly thought of but suffered a pelvic injury and couldn’t race, and another, Close To Me (by Postponed), raced just three times and is now likely going to be covered by Logician.

“In retrospect, it’s a bit of a blessing that I got all fillies out of Mia’s Storm,” says Cox. “I’m an absolute expert in breeding fillies, it feels like I cannot breed a colt for love nor money sometimes. It worked out okay on this occasion, but I wouldn't mind the odd colt every now and again to help balance the books.”

Fans of genre-defying pop-rock of the 1980s and 1990s might have recognised a recurring theme in Cox’s naming.

“It’s me, I’m The Cure fan,” he says. “My wife Louise doesn’t mind them but I think she tolerates my music passions really. We’ve just decided this weekend that we’re going to name In Between Days’ full-sister Like Cockatoos, which is a song from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album. Check it out!”

Cox was right about the promise of Logician, he was right about British-breds being as good as their French counterparts if given the same education and, dagnabbit, he’s right about The Cure too. I took his advice of listening to Like Cockatoos and approved of the moody, psychedelic orchestration.

I think I might arrange my hair into a bird’s nest like The Cure’s lead singer Robert Smith for the next bloodstock industry gathering. And no, before you say it, I wasn’t already doing so.

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