C'est La Guerre

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = C'est La Guerre


caption =
sire = Shinko King
grandsire = Fairy King
dam = La Magnifique
damsire = Kampala
sex = Gelding
foaled = 2004
country = New Zealand flagicon|NZL
colour = Bay
breeder = A & Mrs B C Smith
owner = Lloyd Williams
trainer = Kevin Myers
record = 9:5-2-0
earnings = $466,700
race = New Zealand Derby (2008)
awards=
honours =
updated= 1 March, 2008C'est La Guerre is a Thoroughbred racehorse who on March 1 2008 won the New Zealand Derby by four lengths, the largest winning margin of the race in ten years.

A son of Shinko King, C'est La Guerre is trained in Wanganui by part-owner Kevin Myers, who deserves plenty of the credit for the horse's Derby triumph. Myers trained and placed the horse brilliantly throughout the Derby campaign, having the horse at his absolute peak on Derby day after raising some eyebrows with a route that was unconventional to say the least. As the horse passed the finish line in the Derby, the astute trainer was vindicated as commentator George Simon labelled him a "deadset genius".

C'est La Guerre had his first start at Woodville on the 22nd of October, winning a maiden three year-old event over 1400m comfortably. In mid-November he appeared again, this time in a premier-quality race during New Zealand Cup Week at Riccarton, and again impressively won over 1400m.

After the perfect start to his career, things went slightly wrong in his Derby campaign. In his next start at Awapuni he was blocked 250m from home when making what looked like potentially a winning late run, and suffered the same fate in the Group 2 Great Northern Guineas on Boxing Day when finishing 2.9 lengths behind Prince Kaapstad (who two months later was runner-up to C'est La Guerre in the Derby). As a result, he had an 8th and a 7th in his formline that did no justice to the horse's performances.

He went back to his winning way at Hastings on January 25, and then somewhat surprisingly was taken to the country track Wairoa for his next start on February 13. His win in the $20,000 Wairoa Cup was disturbingly narrow for a Derby contender, but in hindsight the horse was probably well short of the peak he eventually reached on March 1.

With another run over distance (for second against older horses at Otaki) under his belt, he travelled to Ellerslie for the Derby and was rated a $15 chance. That dropped to $10 when there was some substantial rain on the morning of the race, as he had proven himself to be proficient on rain-affected ground earlier in his career.

Given a perfect ride by regular rider David Walker, C'est La Guerre exploded to the lead early in the home straight and raced clear of Prince Kaapstad and Fritzy Boy, passing the line with ears pricked four lengths clear of the runner-up. It was a spectacular performance against a field rated among the best Derby fields in recent years.

C'est La Guerre's first run since the Derby was in another unusual race, finishong second over 1400m in an $11,000 open handicap at another country track in Blenheim. Ironically, the following day saw two horses who were unplaced in the New Zealand Derby, Nom du Jeu and Red Ruler, quinella the Australian Derby on a wet track. He was then sold to Lioyd Williams, the owner of 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient, and moved to the Melbourne stable of John Sadler.

C'est La Guerre's first run in Australia was in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, in which he finished seventh behind Weekend Hussler. The run was good enough for some people to suggest he would be a Melbourne Cup contender for 2008.