Patience pays off as Pic D'Orhy finally has his day at Newbury

Patience has been required for owner Johnny de la Hey and trainer Paul Nicholls for Pic D’Orhy to come good prior to his lucrative result in the Betfair Hurdle and it needed a similar amount of waiting for the five-year-old to come on the market in the first place.

The son of Turgeon, a fourth foal bred in France out of the little-known mare Rose Candy, started life with Francois Nicolle and inflicted several defeats on future star chaser Goliath Du Berlais, now a stallion at Haras de la Tuilerie.

Later that season, when upped in class, Pic D’Orhy was to run Martaline’s stallion successor, Beaumec De Houelle, very close on two occasions, including in the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres.

That race, in November 2018, was to be the final time the pair met, with Pic D’Orhy switching to the Nicholls yard but failing to show a great deal in the Triumph Hurdle.

After a fall back at Auteuil last November and a modest reappearance at Ascot, the five-year-old was returned a 33-1 chance when holding off two other French-breds, Ciel De Neige and Remiluc, in a very tight finish.

Claude Charlet (left) has bought horses in France for Johnny de la Hey (second left)Credit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"It took me nine months to buy the horse. He was the second best three-year-old in France and they’re normally impossible to buy," said bloodstock agent Claude Charlet, who has been involved in finding the owner’s other Grade 1 stars Cyrname, Adrien Du Pont and Diego Du Charmil.

"The owner, Jacques Detre, has 30 of the best horses in France but luckily for me that year he had three or four good three-year-olds. When he just finished second again, I thought I’d have to try again and we shook hands on a price. I begged Johnny to buy him.

"He’ll make a better chaser and we’ve been very lucky to get him."

Nicolle trains the winner's unraced three-year-old half-sister by Jeu St Eloi, named Sainte Candy, who is also owned by Detre, while she also has a yearling colt by Doctor Dino named Pic Saint.

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