Carlo Ancelotti follows FA Cup win by scoring with brother to Sea Of Class

Carlo Ancelotti's Everton may have required extra time to dispose of Rotherham United in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, but the Goodison Park manager suffered no such anxiety as his colours were carried to success in some style by the well-bred Honor And Pleasure at Deauville.

A half-brother by Oasis Dream to Irish and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Sea Of Class, the four-year-old Honor And Pleasure got off the mark at the third time of asking under Pierre-Charles Boudot for Chantilly-based trainer Alessandro Botti, who wasted no time relaying the good news to a delighted Ancelotti.

"He's won this well and while I wouldn't say it was a great race, the way he did it pleased me and he has the right to progress from this," said Botti. "Carlo called me yesterday having won his match as well, so he was pretty happy.

"He wanted to know if we were heading for a nice race next, but we'll give him some more time to develop before the spring. He has the right to be a nice horse and I think he'll be at home on the turf."

Botti had Honor And Pleasure ready to go in the spring of his three-year-old career but a niggle picked up after his final piece of fast work prevented him from running in what is often an informative newcomers' race at Saint-Cloud.

He made it to the all-weather at Deauville twice at the end of 2020, and made no mistake on his third start.

"He was a bit unlucky on his debut when not getting a clear run and then he found himself too far back second time out in a race in which they went no great gallop," said Botti.

"He finished off well to be fourth but Cristian Demuro didn't knock him about and he's smart enough to know they weren't going to make the ground up."

Carlo Ancelotto bought a half share of Honor And Pleasure at the end of half sister Sea Of Class's brilliant three-year-old seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Ancelotti is one of football's great globetrotters and has won three Uefa Champions League titles during spells with AC Milan and Real Madrid, as well as having the distinction of managing title-winning sides in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and with Chelsea in England.

Botti said: "It's been seven or eight years since we were first introduced and he had Myholydream with me, who won a maiden and ran well in a couple of black-type races here in France before being sold to Hong Kong.

"Madame Cecile won a few races, as did Il Pittore. We've probably won ten races I'd say. His associate Giovanni Mauri [Ancelotti's long-time fitness coach] is really passionate about racing and when I approached them with an offer to buy 50 per cent of the brother of Sea Of Class, just after she had finished second in the Arc, they were more than happy to come on board."

Botti purchased Honor And Pleasure's dam, Holy Moon, at Goffs for Ir£2,600 in 2001 and she has produced seven black-type offspring for the family's Razza del Velino breeding operation.

Her Camelot son made €280,000 at Goffs as a foal and will be a two-year-old to look out for with Aidan O'Brien this year.

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