Mister Des Places

Mister Des Places is a tough and experienced four-year-old gelding by Alanadi, who already boasts an impressive racing CV for one so young. He has raced 13 times in France, comprising 10 starts over hurdles and three on the Flat, winning twice and finishing placed on a further three occasions. His durability and willingness to race are among his greatest strengths, and he looks the type to provide his owners with plenty of exciting days on the racecourse.

His victories at Lyon and Moulins both showcased admirable qualities. At Lyon, he travelled strongly before quickening clear in the closing stages to win decisively. Here is the video of his Lyon victory:

At Moulins he displayed real determination, battling all the way to the line to get his head in front. Whatever the circumstances, he is a horse who gives everything. You can see his win at Moulins below:

Mister Des Places rounded off his campaign at Auteuil, France's premier jumps track, where he was sent off favourite after a string of good, consistent performances. He made much of the running before understandably tiring late on, likely feeling the effects of a long and productive first season. He has since enjoyed a well-earned break and will return refreshed for the new jumps campaign.

The French jumps programme is designed to give young horses plenty of racing, and it is common for owners to move them on after their juvenile campaigns. That creates an opportunity to acquire horses like Mister Des Places, who arrive with valuable racecourse experience already under their belt, while still hopefully having the best years of their careers ahead of them.

Only four years old, there remains plenty of scope for further improvement. He has already proven himself over hurdles and, with his toughness and experience, also has the option of embarking on a chasing career, probably sooner rather than later. For owners looking for a genuine racehorse who has already demonstrated ability, consistency and an appetite for racing, Mister Des Places has all the ingredients to be a very exciting addition to the Old Gold Racing team.

Olly Murphy is the son of well-known bloodstock agent Aiden Murphy, and retired trainer Anabel Murphy. Having ridden as an amateur until 2014, Olly headed to Ireland to serve as Assistant Trainer to Gordon Elliot for four seasons, during which Don Cossack won the Gold Cup.

Olly then took out his own license and saddled his first runners in the 2017-18 season. Since then he has trained over 740 UK winners, including ten Graded race victories and a further four Listed successes. The team aims to continually improve the quality of the yard and have just enjoyed their best season to date with 141 winners.