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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 23rd March 2022.

The News In Brief this week includes updates on jockey Cristian Demuro, G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) winner Torquator Tasso and Ettonnant...

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European sprint champion with a French rating of 55, filly Suesa, will make her comeback on 26 March at Meydan in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m). She will be ridden by Olivier Peslier. Other probable runners from France are Berneuil and Air de Valse. Batwan no longer appears in the likely candidates. Suesa travelled from François Rohaut's training base at Pau last Friday arriving in Dubai on Sunday.

Natsukashi is back in work and expected to make her return to the racetrack at Longchamp on 1 May in the G3 Prix Allez France (2000m). Second in the Listed Prix de la Seine (2200m) she then easily won the Class 2 Prix de Solferino (2200m) at Longchamp at the end of October. Owned by prominent sportsman Antoine Griezmann she is trained by Philippe Decouz.

Team Valor owns 80% of Nadette (20% Frenchman Marco Saviozzi) and their website states 1800m is most likely to be the ideal distance for the filly. She was an impressive winner of the Class 2 Prix du Chateau (1600m) on the all-weather at Chantilly last Monday week. Trainer Romain Le Dren-Doleuze will place her in either a 1,400m or 1,600m trial race in preparation for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1600m).

After finishing eighth at Deauville on debut in the Prix de Crèvecœur (1500m) Maximus ran at Lyon-Parilly scoring like a colt with promise. For his seasonal return, he won the Class 2 Prix Saunhac (2,100m) at Toulouse and has now been earmarked to contest the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau (1600m) followed by the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulians (1600m). Olivier Peslier will retain the ride.

Poule d'Essai campaigns for two more horses, both raced by prominent French sportsman Tony Parker, have been announced. The Jean-Claude Rouget trained Zelda will resume this Thursday at St Cloud in the Class 1 Prix Bridaine (1400m). She will then go straight to the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1600m). Mangoustine, now trained by Mikel Delzangles, will line up in either the G3 Prix Imprudence (1400m) at Deauville or the G3 Prix de la Grotte (1600m) at Longchamp as her prep run prior to the Classic in May.

Italian born, but now French based jockey, Cristian Demuro rode a Black Type double at Capannelle in Italy on Sunday. First-up it was the Listed Premio Natale di Roma aboard Vis à Vis, winner of the G2 Gran Criterium in 2020 and this was followed up with victory riding Flag's Up in the Listed Premio Circo Massimo. At his previous start the four-year-old finished second behind Skaletti in the G2 Premio Roma last November.

At Ascot in Perth, West Australia on Saturday, Siyouni filly Amelia's Jewel won the G3 Gimcrack Stakes scoring impressively by two and a half lengths. Her next target will be the feature two-year-old race of the season in Perth, the G2 Karrakatta Plate.

Sealiway returned to France following his disappointing run in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m) where he did not handle the dirt track conditions. A trip to Dubai has been abandoned and his initial domestic goal will be the G1 Prix Ganay (2100m) with a trial race, possibly the G2 Prix d'Harcourt (2000m).

It has been decided the Aga Khan owned filly Ebaiyra will remain in training following a third in the G3 Neom Turf Cup (1800m) at Riyadh. Her immediate target will be the G3 Prix Allez-France (2000m).

Irésine hasn't been seen on the track since finishing third in the G2 Prix Foy (2400m) at Longchamp in September. He suffered a set-back during pre-training and is now not expected to race again until the end of June in the G3 Grand Prix de Lyon (2400m).

Winner of last years' G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m), Torquator Tasso, intends the main target for this season to be defending his title at Longchamp in October. The programme is to include the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft (2200m, Baden-Baden in early June) and the G2 Hansa Preis (2400m), Hamburg in early July. He will probably be engaged in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m) at Ascot or run in the G1 Grosser Preis de Berlin (2400m) with the final prep race before the Arc being the event he won last year, the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden (2400m). The Japan Cup is also an option as the final race of his career.

Last Monday week at Chantilly, Nabunga ran his final race leaving the racetrack on a winning note recording his sixteenth career victory. Over his career, he has been under the guidance of three trainers Alain de Royer Dupré, Gianluca Bietolini and Philippe Decouz, and has won more than €450,000 over 90 outings in France. His rating peaked at 43.5 of value and best performance was second in the Listed Right Royal (3000m) at Chantilly in 2018.

Nesr Shalghoda made a winning comeback in the Class 2 Prix du Perche (1300m) on March 5 at Deauville. Providing the ground in not too soft, his next race will be the G3 Prix Djebel (1400m) also at Deauville but on turf. He holds an entry in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1600m) at Longchamp in May. Stablemate Coachello won the Class 2 Prix Porlezza (1300m) at Deauville in December and will be seeking a firm track for his future races.

Jump

UK jockey Rachael Blackmore became the first female rider to win the G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup (5300m) last Friday aboard the French bred A Plus Tard, by Kapgarde. The win capped off a good week for French bred runners with success including the one, two, three in the G1 Queen Mother Champion Chase (3200m) on Wednesday. Winner by eight-and-half lengths Énergumène (by Denham Red) is an AQPS bred horse, with Funambule Sivola (Noroît) second and Envoi Allen (Muhtathir). Breeder of the winner is Christophe Dubourg. Energumène was sold for €50,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland National Derby Hunt Sale in 2017.

Trotting

The Winter Meeting at Cagnes-sur-Mer ended last Sunday week with the running of the G1 Grand Critérium de Vitesse de la Cote d'Azur (1609m). Twenty-nine meetings were conducted from December-March. The leading trainer was Nicolas Ensch with 26 wins from Jean-Marie Roubaud (21). Fakir du Ranch was the most prolific winner landing four victories and the top three drivers were Nicolas Ensch, 27 successes, well clear of David Bekaert and Romain Derieux both recording 14 wins.

Last Monday week at Mauquenchy Swedish horse Kennedy set a new autostart course record of 1'11''0 for 2150m. The previous record occurred in May 2020 when metropolitan meetings from Vincennes were transferred to provincial tracks (due to covid-19 lockdowns). Dorgos de Guez and Ticket To Ride won their respective races in 1'11''8 (one race was a G3) and the record was bettered by Kennedy in the Grade D.

In between races at Caen last Thursday, Enino du Pommereux trialed ahead of his upcoming requalification. Driven by his trainer, Sylvain Roger, the winner of the G1 2018 Critérium des 4 Ans has not been seen in competition since June 2020. His last performance took place in the G1 Prix René Ballière (winner Face Time Bourbon in a record in 1'09''4) where he finished sixth. Enino du Pommereux completed the 2450 meters but the date of the requalification is yet to be confirmed.

Currently prepared at the stables of Erik Bondo, Cokstile will leave France along with Usain Toll and Chief Orlando to be based for the spring in Sweden and contest Northern European races. All are owned by Renato Santese and will be trained close to Solvalla. For Cokstile, winner of the G2 Prix Bourgogne (2100m) in January, his program is to be focused on the Eliloppet. Eric Bondo will retain responsibility for the preparation of all three runners.

Winner of the G1 Grand Criterium de Vitesse (1609m) at Cagnes-sur-Mer, Ettonnant has officially received an invitation to compete in the Elitloppet at Solvalla in Sweden the end of May.