David Menuisier excited for future of Wonderful Tonight's half-sister - plus plans for the Lincoln winner

Few fillies campaigned on the Flat have attracted as big a following as Wonderful Tonight in recent seasons, and her trainer David Menuisier is hopeful more than a little of her talent has rubbed off on her half-sister Heartache Tonight.

Having won her sole start at two in a back-end 1m1f maiden at Longchamp, Heartache Tonight vaults into Group 3 company at Saint-Cloud on Friday, where she faces seven rivals in the Prix Cleopatre (2.45, live on Sky)

Kieran Shoemark travels to Paris to take the ride on the daughter of Recorder who, like her celebrated sibling, carries the yellow and blue silks of Chris Wright. 

"I had this or a conditions race at Saint-Cloud last Friday in mind, but I’ll know more running her here than I would have in that race last week," said Menuisier. 

"She’s a nice filly who won her only race last year and is the half-sister to a champion, so she’s got every right to be in this race."

Heartache Tonight after her debut success at Longchamp last OctoberCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

All of Wonderful Tonight's best form – including a pair of Group 1 successes at Longchamp and Ascot in the autumn of 2020 – came on testing ground, but Menuisier believes Heartache Tonight is more adaptable. 

"Until proven wrong, I don’t think this filly will be ground-dependent," he said. "She has a completely different action to Wonderful Tonight. She has a lovely action and it was just that she is a tall filly and came to hand late last year. That was the only reason she ran on soft ground but I’d be just as happy with her on good ground.

"She worked at Kempton ten days ago and she was fine on the all-weather. I don’t really have too many question marks as the trip should be fine and it should be interesting."

Menuisier made a sensational start to the new turf campaign when Migration won the Lincoln off top weight, and the trainer will now raise his sights to Pattern company. 

"I’m keeping an eye on the Sandown Mile next Friday and the Prix du Muguet on May 1," said Menuisier. "I would say we're likely to go for one or the other. We’re delighted with him but obviously wherever we go next it will be hard, now he’s rated 113. I think I would prefer to run him at a decent level like Group 2, where there should be more pace." 

Migration and Benoit de la Sayette are led into the winners enclosure after the Lincoln Credit: Edward Whitaker

Menuisier added: "He flopped a couple of times at Listed level but once at Goodwood he wasn’t quite right after the race, and the second time was his final run last year and the form of that race is fantastic. Ottoman Fleet won and he finished in front of Algiers, who ran second in the Dubai World Cup for the Crisfords. 

"With that rating I’m not ashamed to run him at Group 2 level and I might have a preference for the Muguet. It could be an easier contest than Sandown, even though we know there will be good horses like Erevann in opposition. 

"He has to run somewhere, he’s seven and we need to make hay while the sun shines." 

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