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News In Brief of French Racing.
Last Sunday at Pau, 42-year-old jockey Davy Lesot rode in his last race, the Prix François Juge de Montespieu, a Cross-Country event aboard Born To Be A Queen. The jockey retires with a record of 438 jump victories.
At Vincennes on Saturday, Hastronaut won the Prix de Cogolin in 1'13''6 breaking the inner track record for three-year-olds. This record had stood for three years. In 2012 Uraki des Sarts won the G3 Prix Gisella in the same time.
Christophe Soumillon had an impact on his first day of riding at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday landing a double. He recommnced riding after a hiatus of 56 days since contracting covid-19 on the eve of the Breeders Cup Meeting at Keeneland in the United States in early November. Nine of Soumillon's ten rides earned prizemoney and he stated 'The thing is when you come here, you can show people that you are motivated and you can still do what you do best, it's good to get a nice start. I'm very happy.' Soumillon has received a temporary Licence to ride in Hong Kong until 14 February.
Stallion Very Nice Marceaux saw three of his progeny winning at Vincennes last Friday – Galilea Passion, Harry d´Ecajeul and Gitano Jack. In total he has now sired four winners at the Winter Meeting. Very Nice Marcaux stands at Haras du Pays d'Auge.
Other Stallions of note to feature at the Winter Meeting so far have included
Vaillant Cas delivering four wins to date,
Atlas de Joudes and Saxo de Vandel with five,
Coktail Jet, six,
Love You and Prodigious, eight,
Royal Dream, nine.
The clear leader is Ready Cash with twenty-three winners.
On Saturday, media in Sweden reported Stable D would not run in the Prix d'Amérique Qualif 3, the G1 Critérium Continental (2100m). He has been turned out for a spell and will not be seen at Vincennes during this winter. Winner of fourteen of his seventeen attempts, he was defeated last start by Aetos Kronos in the Grand Prix of Solvalla. Sweden will have two runners in the Critérium Continental, Power and Aetos Kronos.
Frenchman Christophe Lemaire has recorded more than 200 winners in Japan this season and remains on target to be leading jockey for the fourth consecutive season. He was the rider of recent G1 Japan Cup (2400m) winner Almond Eye, scoring for the second time in what was her last race.
Winner of the 2019 G1 Prix Jacques le Marois (1600m) and G1 Classic Irish 2,000 Guineas (1600m) Romanised has been retired to stud and will stand at Haras de Bouquetot under the Al Shaqab Stallions banner. Romanised won five of his twenty starts over four seasons and will stand for €7,000 in 2021.
Fourteen French horses have been nominated to compete during the Dubai Racing Carnival beginning on Thursday January 21. Nominations have been received from
Francis-Henri Graffard – four horses – Moon a Lisa, Canagat, Harmysian and Silver Quartz.
Pia Brandt will have three runners – Gogopro, Quiet Times and Yoker.
Nicolas Caullery is planning to send Mozzarella and Golden Veteran Wood who previously won at Meydan in 2017 and 2018.
Frédéric Rossi has Kenway and We Go,
Pascal Bary, Styledargent and Carla O'Halloran, Aramhes (Kendargent).
Finally, Kilfrush Memories has also been nominated.
The racing programme for Face Time Bourbon has changed with and is now scheduled to race in the Prix d'Amérique Races Qualif 5 G2 Prix de Bourgogne (2100m) on Sunday 3 January 3, 2021 in preference to the G2 Prix Tenor de Baune this coming Sunday. This will permit the horse an additional week of recovery following his win in the G2 Prix de Borbonnais at Vincennes on 13 December and four weeks until the G1 Grand Prix d'Amerique on 31 January.
Madhmoon who finished second in the 2019 G1 Epsom Derby (2400m) has been retired. He will stand at Haras du Saz, near Nantes. Winner of the G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes (1600m) at Leopardstown (Ire) his fee will be €2,500.
Paul Ploquin recorded his 300th race victory at Vincennes when winning the Prix Christmas with Extra Jet. His first win was 20 September 2009 driving The ls Of Patrick. Another milestone was 30 October 2012 winning his fiftieth mounted race at Le Mont-Saint-Michel when riding Thalie Galbe. In 2018 and 2019 he won five Group 1 in the mounted contests aboard Fado du Chêne including the Saint-Léger des Trotteurs, Prix d'Essai and Prix de Vincennes and Gala Téjy. In total he delivered 214 mounted wins and 86 driven.
A new two-year-old mounted record of 1'15"6 was recorded at Vincennes when Isildur Paulois won the Prix de Gex last Wednesday surprising everyone starting at +100/1.
Lupo Nero won the Listed Prix Tantième at Deauville in November and in so doing provided leading owner Gérard Augustin-Normand his 1000th winner. He did not enter the sport until 2007 and races horses across all three codes – flat, jump and trotting.
The catalogue for the Prix d'Amérique d'Arqana Trot Auction has been released and is available online. Scheduled to be held on January 28 & 29, sales will take place at Arqana in Deauville. A total of 304 lots have been listed. There will also be 44 Stallion shares (including one for Face Time Bourbon) and mares for both racing and breeding.
