Putsch hoping Trais Fluors can scale the heights in Jean Prat

Andreas Putsch is hoping that Trais Fluors can continue his own Haras de Saint-Pair's flying start to the season on Sunday when his unbeaten colt lines up with a leading chance in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.

It is set to be an exciting few weeks for the owner-breeder, as some of the stud's other homebreds will also be facing their sternest tests to date.

This year marks a decade since the German’s purchase of the Normandy operation, which has a rich heritage as one of France’s oldest farms. It is clear to see that Putsch's passion and dedication, as well as a profound respect for how the late Gerald Leigh developed his broodmare band, has borne fruit. From a crop of 14 foals that were produced three years ago, a trio of these are already Group winners this season.

Trais Fluors, named after a plateau with a trio of prominent peaks in the Upper Engadine in Switzerland, where Putsch mainly resides, will bid to become his owner’s second Group 1-winning homebred after Vadamos quickened up best to defeat Spectre in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp last September.

"He’s a lovely horse that has a great turn of foot. Andre Fabre tells me that his preparation has gone very well, so we are hopeful of a good performance," Putsch says of the son of Dansili, before adding: "As there are only five runners, I think it will turn out to be quite a tactical race with Thunder Snow - that's probably our only worry."

The winner of his only start at two before registering three further wins this season, Trais Fluors is the first foal out of Group 3 Prix Vanteaux winner Trois Lunes, herself the first produce of Listed scorer Trip To The Moon. Trais Fluors represents the second generation of Putsch’s breeding after he purchased his grandam privately after she was led out unsold at Arqana’s Arc Sale in 2007.

Andreas Putsch: 'Andre Fabre tells me that his preparation has gone very well, so we are hopeful of a good performance'Credit: Edward Whitaker

"I bought her on looks and performance rather than pedigree, as there wasn't much there," he explains. "When Trois Lunes was a foal I took the decision to sell Trip To The Moon for commercial reasons, more than any other. She sold for €120,000 to a partnership from Haras du Cadran [breeder of Qemah], and they still have her today."

Due to his challenging character as a youngster, Trais Fluors was not always the apple of his breeder's eye. His racing career, however, has certainly changed that, and Putsch now views the colt's formative years in a much more favourable light.

"He went through the ring at Tattersalls during Book 1 when consigned by Philipp Stauffenberg, however he was very difficult during the sales preparation and at Newmarket because he was so colty. No one wanted him, so he was unsold for 120,000 guineas. That proved to be a stroke of luck!

"Trais Fluors has completely changed since he went to Andre Fabre, which is equally a testament to the skill he has a trainer. The colt is now a very calm horse that has not stopped improving in his four runs, and we're hopeful on pedigree that he'll also stay further in time," Putsch adds of the colt, who was a smooth winner of the Group 3 Prix Paul de Moussac over the Prix Jean Prat course and distance at Chantilly last time.

Since giving birth to Trais Fluors in 2014, his dam Trois Lunes has produced only one further foal, a colt by Kendargent earlier this year. She returned empty again this season.

Aside from Sunday's Jean Prat runner, the unbeaten Volfango and Group 3 Prix Imprudence scorer Via Ravenna will also attempt to step up in grade in the coming weeks. The former is a Dutch Art half-brother to Putsch’s Prix du Moulin de Longchamp scorer Vadamos, who recently covered 186 mares in his first season at Tally-Ho Stud, including six of his breeder’s own.

Vadamos (orange cap) clears away from the field in the Prix du Moulin de LongchampCredit: Edward Whitaker

The pair's dam, the Listed winner Celebre Vadala, hails from the top Jean-Luc Lagardere family of Val Royal, Valyra and Vadawina. She was bought at Arqana’s December Sale in 2008 for €525,000 and is currently in foal to Dubawi.

"The aim for Volfango is to run him in the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam. He's another that didn't really catch the eye as a youngster but has done nothing but improve," says Putsch. The three-year-old colt is in training with Freddy Head, and is now two from two since making a winning debut at Maisons-Laffitte at the beginning of May.

Volfango’s younger half-brother by Pour Moi was sold at Arqana’s October Yearling Sale for €80,000 to Blandford Bloodstock.

Via Ravenna is a filly that is close to Putsch’s heart, as he feels a special connection to her origins that stems from having purchased her dam, the two-year-old Group 3-winning Via Milano for 170,000gns at Tattersalls in November 2004.

"Via Milano has been very good to me, as she has also produced Group 3 winner Via Medici (sold to Katsumi Yoshida for €480,000 at Arqana in December 2014 in foal to Dansili) and the Group 3-placed Via Manzoni.

"Via Medici is also the dam of Listed winner Via Pisa and Group 2 runner-up Via Firenze," he explains.

"The plan for Via Ravenna is to go for the Group 1 Prix Rothschild," says Putsch. "It was too short for her over 1,200 metres last time when she finished fourth in the Prix de Ris-Orangis, which we knew, but the aim was to get her used to a faster pace."

Putsch has also tasted success as a breeder this year with the Godolphin-owned Group 3 Prix La Force scorer Graphite, while he has also sold the very talented yearling purchase Jimmy Two Times to Sheikh Mohammed's operation. He has, however, retained breeding rights in the son of Kendargent. He also counts promising recent debut winner Chiavari among his three-year-olds.

With the conditions set to suit Trais Fluors at Chantilly, and Fabre going for an unprecedented sixth win in the race, it would be no surprise to see the Haras de Saint-Pair colt take the next step towards the summit of his burgeoning career on Sunday afternoon.