Pineau de Re

Pineau de Re
Pineau De Re at Sandown in April 2014.
Sire	Marresca Sorrento
Grandsire	Cadoudal
Dam	Elfe du Perche
Damsire	Abdonski
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	8 May 2003
Country	France
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Michel Hardy
Owner	Barry Connell John Provan
Trainer	Philip Fenton Richard Newland
Record	44: 8-7-4
Earnings	£677,271
Major wins
Ulster Grand National (2013) Grand National (2014)

Pineau de Re (foaled 8 May 2003) is a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Grand National.

Pineau de Re is a bay gelding with no white markings bred in France by Michel Hardy. His sire Marresco Sorrento was a winning hurdler in France and has had some success as a sire of jumpers. His dam, Elfe du Perche was not a Thoroughbred, being of Selle Francais ancestry. In July 2005 the gelding was consigned by the Ecurie Bayard to the Goffs France sale where he was bought for €20,000 by Seamus Murphy. The gelding was sent into training with Philip Fenton at Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary.

Pineau de Re began his racing career in National Hunt Flat races in the 2007/2008 National Hunt season. He ran five times, finishing second on his debut at Limerick and recording his only success when winning at Fairyhouse on 23 February 2008.

After missing the whole of the next two seasons, Pineau de Re returned as a Novice hurdler. He won on his debut over obstacles at Limerick on 17 November 2010. He was beaten in four subsequent starts but showed good form when finishing second in both the Grade I Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and the Grade II Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle. The gelding continued to compete over hurdles in the 2011/2012 season recording his only success in six attempts when winning a handicap race at Thurles Racecourse in October.

In the following season, Pineau de Re was moved up to compete in steeplechases. He made little initial impact, being well beaten in his first four attempts over the larger obstacles before winning a minor event at Thurles on 3 January 2013. After two further defeats he was matched against more experienced opponent in the three and a half-mile Ulster Grand National at Downpatrick Racecourse on 3 April. Ridden by Danny Mullins, he started the 13/2 second favourite in a field of fifteen runners and won by twenty-three lengths.