Calva D'Auge Profile

Written on 18 May 2020

Calva D'Auge was bought privately from France after showing plenty of promise on the Flat and over hurdles in his native country. As he was yet to win over obstacles, he was a very appealing prospect, as he remained eligible for novice and maiden hurdles and chases. When Calva D'Auge arrived in Britain in the spring of last year, he was sent to EquiPrep for a holiday, which allowed him a chance to acclimatise before he began training at Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat stables. At the time, Darrell Scaife thought he needed to put on plenty of weight before he was ready to be trained, following a full season in France. Let's look back through his early career and his pedigree, before reviewing last season.

Calva D'Auge is out of a daughter of Tiger Hill, a moderate maiden mare called Hill Ou Elle. Her best run was on her debut, when she finished fourth in a maiden race at Lyon La Soie in April 2009, after which her form deteriorated. Hill Ou Elle's dam, Guanhumara, was unplaced in eight races in Britain for Peter Walwyn, but was a better broodmare; Hill Ou Elle is a half-sister to four individual winners, including useful sprint handicapper, Smart Ridge, who also picked up valuable black type for the family when placed in a Listed race.

Prior to Calva D'Auge, the only runner Hill Ou Elle had produced was Ma Liberte, foaled in 2012, who ran badly on two occasions before she was soon retired. Calva D'Auge remains by some distance the best foal she has ever produced.

Calva D'Auge is by Air Chief Marshal, who was trained by Aidan O'Brien to win one of his ten races as a two-year-old in 2009. After winning a maiden, Air Chief Marshal proved soundness and versatility through the season to finish a half-length second in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes. He was also not beaten far into fourth place in the Group 1 National Stakes. Air Chief Marshal won twice as a three-year-old, including the Group 3 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh.

Air Chief Marshal's best progeny includes Helene Charisma (formerly named Mont Ormel when trained in France), who has won over £1m in both France and Hong Kong. Helene Charisma's finest hour came when winning the 2016 Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, although he has earned a fortune in Hong Kong since then. Air Chief Marshal's other leading progeny include five-time winner Kayenne, Listed winner Red Torch, six-time winner Djoko (also Listed-placed) and Ficelle Du Houley, who has won four races and has been placed in Group 3 company. Initially, Air Chief Marshal stood at Haras de la Cauviniere from 2011-2017 for a fee of €6,000, but he now stands at Longford House Stud in Ireland for a private fee.

Calva D'Auge was trained by Bruno de Montzey in Mont-de-Marsan in south west France, and was kept pretty busy. He made his debut on the Flat in June 2017, as a two-year-old, finishing sixth at Toulouse over 7f. With this experience safely under his belt, he won his next race at Dax soon afterwards. The runner-up, Land Of Mind, won next time out, in early 2018, whilst the third-placed Falco Delavilliere progressed to win a race that summer, thus franking the form. Not allowed to rest on his laurels, Calva D'Auge was soon returned to the course to compete at Listed level, finishing sixth at Saint-Cloud over 7f, in July 2017.

After finishing fifth at Le Lion d'Angers and third at Dax, Calva D'Auge finished a close fourth (of four) to Glorious Journey on his Pattern race debut in the Group 3 Prix La Rochette at Saint-Cloud. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Glorious Journey later progressed to win the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury and a Group 2 race at Meydan earlier this year. Calva D'Auge was unplaced in his final race of the 2017 campaign, his seventh race within just three months.

Perhaps unsurprisingly after such a busy juvenile season, Calva D'Auge did not appear in public for 15 months following his final run as a juvenile. He reappeared at Pau in December 2018, where he finished unplaced in his first effort over hurdles. Jumped off towards the rear, Calva D'Auge was never really put into the race, but jumped home safely. He returned to the course a fortnight later with this experience under his belt and took much closer order from the start. Calva D'Auge jumped off in second place on the outside of the course and travelled well to finish runner-up, which was a much improved effort.

Once again kept busy by de Montzey, Calva D'Auge returned to Pau a fortnight later, and was jumped off in mid division and made little progress through the race, before finishing sixth. He was then pulled up in a Listed hurdle at the same course three weeks later.

In February, Calva D'Auge made the running in a 2m 3f Hurdle at Bordeaux le Bouscat and looked a different horse once again. He travelled extremely well, setting a steady pace, and only surrendered the lead in the last fifty yards, having looked the winner at the final flight. He was not always fluent through the race, which was a trait that was starting to creep into his races. Lack of fluency may have cost him victory in his final race in France, as he again finished second, at Toulouse on 16 March. On this occasion, Calva D'Auge set a decent gallop, but was untidy at a few of his obstacles. Of course, remaining a maiden over obstacles helped tremendously when he arrived in Britain, as he could start his career with Paul Nicholls with a blank canvas, with maiden hurdle and novices' hurdle race options at his new trainer's disposal, as well as handicaps.

When Calva D'Auge arrived in Ditcheat, Paul had watched his previous races and set about improving his jumping. Calva D'Auge spent plenty of time schooling, which appeared to really help with his technique when he raced in Britain last season. Calva D'Auge started at Plumpton on 4 November and was sent off third-favourite, despite his impressive opening handicap mark of 127, and his experience already obtained over obstacles. Despite competition from the 129-rated Touchthesoul, Calva D'Auge never looked like he would be beaten in this race. Unlike many others, he was not hindered by the heavy ground; indeed, the way he quickened after the last impressed winning jockey Harry Cobden. The handicapper duly raised Calva D'Auge 5lbs to 132 for this opening British effort, promoting Paul to send him next to the Listed novices' hurdle on Betfair Chase day at Haydock three weeks later.

Unusually on Betfair Chase day at Haydock, the ground was much drier than it would normally be, placing less emphasis on stamina and more on speed. Ridden for the first time by Bryony Frost, Calva D'Auge was the first horse off the bridle leaving the back straight, but rallied significantly after the second-last flight, regaining second place nearing the post. Although Calva D'Auge offered no challenge to the winner, Thebannerkingrebel, he fought valiantly to repel Glory And Fortune to maintain the runner-up spot in this quality race. Calva D'Auge did not jump as fluently as he had in his previous race, and left the impression that he needed a longer distance on decent ground like this.

Calva D'Auge was then sent to contest the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle, as Paul Nicholls hoped that the terribly wet winter we were enduring at the time would ensure heavy ground at Sandown, which is not a track that drains quickly. Frustratingly, a dry week leading up to the novices' feature race meant that speed and class were more of an asset than stamina and steely determination, hence Calva D'Auge faded to finish fourth. Having been close up with three flights to jump, he weakened up the straight to be beaten 22 lengths by the classy Fiddlerontheroof, which was still a decent effort.

Calva D'Auge returned to novice level on 30 January, when carrying a penalty to victory at Wincanton. Helped by the soft ground, Calva D'Auge made nearly all the running to secure a victory that did not appear all that likely after the last hurdle, which he jumped very awkwardly, landing on all fours. Luckily, Harry Cobden was at his strongest and urged this genuine little horse up on the line to beat Faire Part Sivola by a head. Once again, Calva D'Auge put his excellent stamina to good use, with his ability shining through in this grade, as he conceded 5lbs to the runner-up.

On 10 February, Calva D'Auge returned to Plumpton (the scene of his first hurdling success) for another novices' hurdle, where he was forced to carry a double penalty in heavy ground. This was not the only challenge facing him, however, as Nicky Henderson's four-year-old Fraser Island was rated 3lbs higher than Calva D'Auge, meaning Calva D'Auge would have been 19lbs better off in a handicap. Once again Calva D'Auge proved that, given the right conditions, he is a very hard horse to beat, as he loves racing and does all he can to win. He and Harry Cobden led before the home turn and were impossible to pass, despite his weight burden. This impressive win prompted the handicapper to raise Calva D'Auge's rating to a career-high of 139.

In hindsight, perhaps his next race came a little too soon after this exertion. On 29 February, Calva D'Auge was partnered by Sam Twiston-Davies for the first time in the Grade 2 Premier Novices' Hurdle at Kelso. Perhaps the long season was beginning to catch up with Calva D'Auge by now, as he faded to finish fifth in the heavy conditions, beaten 24 lengths by the decent Clondaw Caitlin.

What an incredible season Calva D'Auge enjoyed last winter. He always raced with great enthusiasm, and when conditions were in his favour, he was a very hard horse to pass. He seems best over 2m on testing ground, as these conditions allow his jockey to force the pace and put his stamina to good use. Calva D'Auge would probably need up to 2m 4f on better ground, as these conditions often allow faster horses to simply travel into the race, before passing rivals who may lack a turn of foot. Next season, Calva D'Auge can contest handicap hurdles from a rating of 136 (he was dropped 3lbs after his Kelso race). Paul thinks his jumping would have to improve for him to consider going novice chasing with Calva D'Auge, so let's hope that could be an option for further down the line.

We hope Calva D'Auge enjoys his well earned summer rest at EquiPrep, having run often and so competitively in each race last season. We hope he will return to Paul Nicholls later in the summer to prepare for next season. Last season, he hardly took a lame step or missed a meal, yet he ran regularly in the most testing of conditions. While next season will be harder for him, out of novice company, we can be sure Calva D'Auge will try his best for his owners. Let's hope he enjoys the wholesome spring grass in his paddock while the nation continues in Lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, and we all dream of what he could achieve next season.