IT is rumoured that Matthieu Palussiere had already ordered a 100 bottles of Champagne to be delivered to his Maisons-Laffitte stables even before Different League landed a comfortable victory in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, eight days ago, in the hands of Antoine Hamelin.

Con and Theresa Marnane, together with Palussiere, have had terrific success in France as is shown by the owner’s table where ninth place is filled by the “Chatelaine” of Bansha House in Co. Tipperary. The pair have accumulated nearly €380,000 so far this season. When the French bred owner’s premiums are added this amount swells to over €520,000.

Palussiere is the most Irish of Frenchman having worked for 18 years in the Emerald Isle before setting up shop in Maisons-Laffitte. He spent four years working at the Aga Khan studs, four years with Mick Halford and the remainder of his time pre-training horses himself. He also sent out 18 winners, including a Grade 3 winner over hurdles.

He now has 45 horses under his care and 27 are owned by the Marnanes who also have horses with Jean-Pierre Perruchot. Their string has so far accumulated 21 victories and 60 places with half of the season still to run.

They could be set for even more success as Different League has been marked down for a tilt at the Darley Prix Morny. Not bad for the daughter of Dabirsim who will try to follow in the footsteps of her sire at Deauville and pretty good for a foal who cost €8,000 at the Arqana Breeding stock sale in December 2015.

The Marnanes couldn’t get the £14,000 reserve set for Different League at Goffs last August so a failed pinhook has now turned into a possible classic prospect. She was twice a winner before Ascot, at Lyon-Parilly and Angers.

The question now is whether the Marnanes and Palussiere have a filly of a similar quality hidden away in the provinces. Last Saturday at Durtal, Beautiful Destiny (Hateef) won a maiden by 10 lengths.