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News In Brief of French Racing.
Nine-year-old Billie de Montfort won the G1 Grand Prix des Nations at Milan, Italy on Monday. Having her 116th race-start, the nine-year-old recorded her twentieth victory and first since landing the G2 Prix Bourgogne (2100m) at Vincennes at the end of December last year. She won the G1 Critérium des Jeunes (2700m) way back in 2014 and despite having won more than €2m in prizemoney, this was – previously – her only Group One success. The immediate plan is to defend her G2 Prix Bourgogne (2100m) title at Vincennes on Sunday 3 January followed by the 1609m G1 at Cagnes-sur-Mer in March. The G1 Elitloppet in May is also a possibility. The time recorded was 1'12"2 for 2250m.
Winner of the 2020 G1 Critérium des Jeunes (2700m) Havana D'Aurcy is believed to have suffered a ruptured aneurysm when returning from the training track at Grosbois. By Royal Dream her bloodlines were strong being a granddaughter of the prolific producer Encombevineuse (she produced three Critérium winners). On the track Havana d'Aurcy won seven of her fifteen starts and almost €300,000 in prizemoney she was considered a good chance in the upcoming G1 Critérium des trois ans (2700m) following her third in the G2 trial race two weeks ago.
Leading stallions were to the fore at Vincennes last weekend when Ready Cash landed four winners whilst Royal Dream, Sam Bourbon and Goetmals Wood each had three victors.
Former French galloper Gailo Chop has been retired. Now a nine-year-old, he ran his last race at Ascot in Perth, West Australia last Saturday in the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m). He started on forty-two occasions, across nineteen racetracks in five countries with thirteen wins. Originally trained by Antoine de Watrigant, as a three-year-old he won the G3 Prix La Force, G3 Prix Noailles and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. He finished second to Solow as a four-year-old in the G1 Prix d'Isphan (2100m). His three Group One successes were all in Australia over 2000m – Mackinnon Stakes, Caulfield Stakes and Ranvet Stakes before a second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes behind Winx.
Another French success story in Australia is Attorney who won the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) following his win in the G3 Colin Stephenson Quality Handicap (2400m). He will now be targeted for the G1 Sydney Cup (3200m) in April. He won his maiden at Clairefontaine over 2400m.
Last Sunday at Toulouse the fourteenth and final round of the Défi du Gallop was run which saw last years' title holder Good Question win and retain his name at the top of the table for a second year. Good Question won with 21 points ahead of Ateem (19) while Top Max (16) was third. Leading trainer of the series was Christophe Escuder (26 points) from the P&F Monfort combination (19) with Henri-Alex Pantall (16) in third. Leading rider was Anthony Crastus (24 points), Maxime Guyon (22) and Pierre-Charles Boudot (14). Good Question won three Listed races this season.
The Winter Meeting at Vincennes continues and as at the end of the weekend's racing rankings for season 2020 are becoming clearer with Jean-Michel Bazire holding an unassailable lead in the training ranks whilst leading driver Eric Raffin maintains a commanding lead and he also narrowly heads the table for leading mounted jockey in front of Matthieu Mottier.
Leading thoroughbred trainer Jean-Claude Rouget won as a trotting owner at Bordeaux with two-year-old, I Alone, his second successive victory.
Drôle de Jet was unable to compete in the G2 Grand National du Trot (2700m) at Vincennes last Sunday due to an outbreak of colic at Pierre Vercruysse's stable. To be on the safe side the trainer decided to save the seven-year-old for next Sunday's G2 Prix du Bourbonnais (2850m), the next of the Prix d'Amérique Races as Qualif 2.
Top-class jumper James Du Berlais has left the stables of Robert Collet and moved to Ireland where the Simon Munier owner four-year-old Group One placed horse will be trained by Willie Mullins. The owner is keen for the horse to compete in both Ireland and England. He is at his best over shorter hurdle courses but is yet to be tried in steeplechases.
Ahead of the first Group One of the Winter Festival – the Critérium des 3 Ans (2700m) to be conducted at Vincennes on Sunday 20 December – two of the leading chances in Hooker Berry and Hohneck have already been offered syndication for a breeding career. Both have the bloodlines that will make them attractive stallions. Hooker Berry has twice won in G2 contests and is G1 placed. He also holds the French record for three-year-olds of 1'10"6 recorded at Enghien over 1609m. The dam Osaka Berry maintains a strong bloodline and apart from being a solid performer on the track has produced Darling Berry and Eliska Berry and is closely related to Quokine Berry, Tequila Berry and Dayana Berry. 20 shares at €18,000 are being offered and he will have an initial standing in 2021 at Haras d'Avireau. Hohneck was syndicated offering fifty shares at €35,000 and he too will stand next season at Haras de Bouttemont. He is a multiple G2 winner with relatives including Sanawa, Gotland and Dawana.
Sky Power was a recent Listed winner of the Prix Lyphard (1900m) at Deauville and the victory gives him an automatic into the UK All-Weather Championship Final to be held at Lingfield Park on Good Friday in early April. Other French qualifying races are:
Prix Saonois (1600m) Cagnes-sur-Mer, 15 February, and
Prix Anabaa (1300m) Chantilly 3 March.
Steeplechaser Bipolaire has been retired. Winner in-excess of €1.5m, his record included three consecutive victories (2017-18-19) in the Prix de la Haye Jousellin, a feat second only to Al Capone II. His final race was in the October G1 Grand Steeplechase de Paris (6000m) where the nine-year-old fell at the 'big' Open Ditch.
Last Tuesday week (1 December) jockey Théo Bachelot notched-up a personal best when he achieved his one-hundredth winner of the season at Deauville courtesy of Shyamala. He is currently sixth on the jockey's table.
David Thomain drove his 1500th winner when Fearless Jiel won the Prix d'Hennebont at Vincennes last Tuesday week (1 December). Highly successful across both disciplines with 999 victories in driven races and 501 in mounted events. Interestingly going back to his early career, his 'first' across the line victory ended in a subsequent disqualification! It was Kypro Pile at Vincennes, 20 November 2004, winning that produced his recorded first win. Despite his high success strike rate in mounted contests, he has indicated driven contests are now his key focus.
