By Sean Cronin
Yeguada Centurion homebred Tito Mo Cen (Ire) (Uncle Mo–Raven's Lady {GB}, by Raven's Pass) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status when delivering a blistering seven-length triumph over 9 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly last month and continued on the upgrade with a dominant performance back at the same venue in Sunday's Listed Prix Maurice Caillault.
The Victoria Head trainee was sent forward to assume control after breaking in fifth. Holding sway at an even pace throughout, the 23-10 joint-favourite was bustled along once into the home straight and kept on strongly under mild urging inside the final quarter-mile to easily hold the hitherto unbeaten Curragh Camp (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}) by 1 1/2 lengths.
“He is a very impressive colt physically, he is mentally strong and his forte is his high cruising speed,” commented Head. “On his first run, I wondered how he would react when challenged and he found another gear. It was the same today and that is certainly the mark of a good horse. He loves the surface, but he has never been trained on grass yet and we will have to see how he does then. I think on good or fast it should not prove a problem. He is entered in the [G3] Prix La Force at Longchamp, but his next target is not definite yet and will be decided in time.”
Pedigree Notes
Tito Mo Cen is the second foal and 'TDN Rising Star' produced by G2 Goldene Peitsche and G3 Summer Stakes victrix Raven's Lady (GB) (Raven's Pass), the first being multiple Group 1-placed G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Ramatuelle (Justify). The March-foaled homebred's illustrious half-sister was knocked down to M V Magnier for $5.1m at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. The winner is also kin to the unraced 2-year-old colt Mr Lope Cen (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Raven's Lady is out of an unraced half-sister to G1 Prix d'Ispahan-winning sire Best Of The Bests (Ire) (Machiavellian), G2 Dante Stakes third Dunhill Star (Ire) (Danehill) and the dam of dual Group 3-winning G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}). Tito Mo Cen's third dam, G3 Fred Darling Stakes victrix Sueboog (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), is a half-sister to the dam of G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Prix Jean Prat runner-up Shaanmer (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) and stakes-winning GI Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap second Nordican Inch (GB) (Inchinor {GB}).
🇫🇷 Prix Maurice Caillault @fgchantilly
Chantilly – Listed – 3 ans – 1800m – 8 Pts – 55 000 €🏆 🥇Tito Mo Cen (m) (Ire) 🏇Stephane Pasquier @pasquito60
🥈Curragh Camp
🥉Al Aali📖(Uncle Mo (Usa) – Raven's Lady (Gb) par Raven's Pass (Usa))
🕶️Victoria Head… pic.twitter.com/Cku59X8dzG
— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) March 9, 2025
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX MAURICE CAILLAULT-Listed, €55,000, Chantilly, 3-9, 3yo, 9f (AWT), 1:51.26, st.
1–TITO MO CEN (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Raven's Lady (GB) (GSW-Eng & Ger, $238,499), by Raven's Pass
2nd Dam: Pivotal Lady (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Sueboog (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (IRE); T-Victoria Head; J-Stephane Pasquier. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €41,000. *1/2 to Ramatuelle (Justify), G1SW-Fr & MG1SP-Eng, $641,762.
2–Curragh Camp (Fr), 126, c, 3, Romanised (Ire)–Delinda (Fr), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€52,000 Ylg '23 ARQOCT). O-Robert Ng; B-SCEA Haras de Gratte Panche, Michel Dardenne, Samy Torgeman & Mohsen Ben Hamouda (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €11,000.
3–Al Aali (Fr), 126, c, 3, City Light (Fr)–La Zubia (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€38,000 Ylg '23 ARQOCT). O-Fal Stud SAS, GL Racing, Remy Dupuy-Naulot & Lucie Pontoir; B-SNIG Elevage (FR); T-Lucie Pontoir. €8,250.
Margins: 1HF, 3, 3/4. Odds: 2.30, 2.30, 28.00.
Also Ran: Ghawar (Ire), Stormy Donald (Fr), Fly Half (Fr), Extrapol (Ire). DNF: Hohenschwangau (Fr).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
