Madame Pommery Lands Thousand Guineas for Ladies Group

The splattering of Caulfield mud did nothing to taint the clinking of glasses emblazoned on the silks of Oct. 12 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Madame Pommery, as her all-lady syndicate celebrated a champagne ride from champion jockey James McDonald to claim Classic success.

While their eight rivals swept wide turning for home, McDonald, tucked away on the rail on the daughter of No Nay Never , took the hitherto shunned inside track, stealing a three-length margin which ultimately proved decisive. 

Revolutionary Miss, akin to her flashing run when runner-up in the Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) in February, finished a length-and-a-half back in second, with New Zealand raider Licketysplit coming through to claim third ahead of the favorite Boogie Dancer. 

"At some point in time they were going to overdo it (in traveling wide), and I reckon that time had come… I was very comfortable, it was so economical tucked away where I was," McDonald, winning his 71st group 1 race, said post-race. 

The Chris Waller-trained Madame Pommery, whose name derives from the lavish French champagne house, Champagne Pommery, had shown glimpses of bubbling into life in three Princess Series' runs this spring, but was upstaged by her stablemate Zougotcha, whom she finished second to in the Darley Tea Rose Stakes (G2), as well as Darley Furious Stakes (G2) winner North Star Lass. 

But, following an unimposing sixth on a wet track in the Darley Flight Stakes (G1) at Randwick last time out, Madame Pommery—sent off an AUS$9 (US$5.65) chance—showed distinct improvement yesterday to prevail on a deteriorating Heavy 10 Caulfield surface. 

Victory was her second in seven starts, having previously only won a 2-year-old handicap at Rosehill in May. 

"A fantastic ride (from James McDonald)," said Waller's assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth. "We were a little bit nervous as to whether she'd see out a tough mile, especially when the rain came, it threw some serious doubt into our minds. 

"She got a gem of a ride, did no work early, only had to chime in at the 400 (meter mark), and she let down pretty impressively. 

"As a stable, it's not just this filly, we've now taken out the Flight Stakes (with Zougotcha) and the Thousand Guineas.

"She potentially didn't live up to her best in the Flight Stakes, but she's got good wet track form and she's an exciting prospect."

Madame Pommery becomes the first group 1 winner in Australia and the sixth worldwide for Coolmore stallion No Nay Never, who shuttled south to Jerrys Plains for four seasons between 2016 and 2019, leaving 201 live foals. 

The result adds an antipodean punch to an extraordinary year for the U.S.-bred No Nay Never, having sired the winners of two group 1 juvenile races in Europe this season as well as Darley July Cup Stakes (G1) heroine Alcohol Free . 

The stallion's final crop of yearlings to pass through southern hemisphere auction houses this year averaged AUS$84,862, headlined by a NZ$260,000 colt at Karaka who is bound for Hong Kong. 

Madame Pommery, a product of No Nay Never's penultimate southern hemisphere-bred crop, was an AUS$150,000 ($115,432) buy from the Coolmore draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and connections had an altogether different plan for the filly when an all-female group headed by Waller's wife, Steph, assumed ownership. 

"It's an all-ladies syndicate and I'm a bit speechless really. Sophie (Baker) and Steph (Waller) put 20 ladies together hoping to run (for the $500,000 bonus) in the Magic Millions (2YO Classic) and now they've taken out the Thousand Guineas," Duckworth said.

"It's above and beyond expectations. I think they would have all been happy to have a winner at Kembla or Geelong on a Thursday. To win here today is mind-blowing.

"She was almost a freebie," Duckworth added of the purchase price. "She's obviously worth a whole lot more than that now, and she's won a lot more than that now.

"Those colors might see some better days to come too. They're famous colors now, group 1-winning colors, so I'm absolutely rapt."

Selected by Waller and trusted agent Guy Mulcaster, Madame Pommery is the fourth foal out of Exceed And Excel  mare Cancel, herself a sister to Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) winner Earthquake, and half sister to stakes winners Pandemic and Palomares .  

Trainer Andrew Forsman confirmed third-placed Licketysplit will remain in Australia a little longer yet, as she targets the Empire Rose Stakes (G1) at Flemington on Oct. 29. 

"(Damian Lane) said she really just struggled to get around that track," Forsman said. "As much as the heavy track conditions, but also the tight bends. She was in tight quarters a lot of the way, there was a bit of contact, lost her hind end, and had to pick herself up and go again. The winner was too good, but she was very brave."