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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 8th September 2021.
This week's news-in-brief covers French success in the Swiss Derby, a landmark amount of victories for Eric Raffin and retirement of a cross-country specialist...
Jean-Charles Sorel
Jean-Charles Sorel achieved a unique landmark in his career – winning four races on one card at Salon-de-Provence on Sunday. The driver has enjoyed a successful season that included recording his six hundredth victory earlier in the season.
Swiss Derby
Galactica was the only French representative in the Swiss Derby at Frauenfeld on Sunday. The filly had recorded a maiden victory on her third attempt at Clairefontaine and added the feature race to her winning tally, taking the lead in the closing stages ahead of Domstürmer.
Eric Raffin
Eric Raffin was aiming to record a landmark 4000 victories before the age of 40 and achieved the goal at Les Sables d'Olonne, a track close to his heart. The 4000th success occurred just over three years after his 3000th win with Face Time Bourbon.
Emeraude de Kerza
Cross country specialist Emeraude de Kerza has been retired by her trainer Gabriel Leenders due to tendonitis. The mare won the Grand Cross de Corlay in 2020, the Listed Anjou-Loire Challenge in 2021 and placed third in the G3 Prix Sytaj.
Sol Blade
Sol Blade has been retired due to a tendon injury. The seven-year-old gelding had achieved seven victories for trainer Jean-Louis Lucase including the Grande Haies de Dieppe and will spend the remainder of his life at Haras de la Nonanterie.
Clairefontaine & Deauville
André Fabre topped the trainers' standings for the Clairefontaine and Deauville summer meeting with fifteen winners and twelve placings from fifty-one runners. HRH The Aga Khan dominated the breeding rankings and UK-based Frankie Dettori achieved a surprisingly high strike rate of 37.5%.
Brametot
Brametot will stand a further two seasons at Gestüt Ebbesloh in Germany. The double Classic winner has only four two-year-olds in training in France and two of those performers are entered in the Prix des Marettes for maiden fillies.
Kevin Nabet
Kevin Nabet has been suspended for a period of twenty-five days. The suspension is made of two separate offences: fifteen days for an aggressive act towards fellow jockey Baptiste le Clerc and ten days for behaviour at Clairefontaine racetrack on 22 July.
Princess Zoe
Winner of last year's G1 Prix du Cadran, Princess Zoe will be returning to Longchamp on 2 October to defend her crown. Although yet to win in 2021, she finished runner-up to Subjectivist in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup and will go into the race with a last start second in the G3 Irish St Leger Trial (2800m) on 13 August.
Sealiway
G1 Prix du Jockey Club (2100m) runner-up Sealiway has not been seen since his strong effort in the Chantilly showpiece. Cédric Rossi's charge is being considered for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) and his stable-mate Rougir will be entered for the G1 Prix de l'Opera (2400m).
Trophee Vert
The Trophee Vert series has concluded for another year with Elvis du Vallon taking the prize in the final. The second-placed Clarck Sotho achieved the most amount of points over the course of the series. At Craon on Monday, driver Thibaut Barassin won the apprentice section of the Trophee Vert with Funny Horse whilst Didier Gaudin topped the amateur rankings with Eatswood de Couet.
Guillaume Lenain
Guillaume Lenain achieved a 50th victory in the saddle aboard Enilo Bilou at Craon on Monday. The twenty-year-old has recorded twenty victories this season and is currently associated with the Alexis Grimault yard.
Callmethebreeze
The Philippe Allaire trained Callmethebreeze won the newly promoted G1 Gran Premio Carlo Marangoni on Sunday in Turin (Italy) with a race-record time of 1'12"2. It is intended the colt will be targeted for the valuable Italian Derby in Rome on 10 October.
Ribchester
Garachio became the twelfth individual winner for sire Ribchester when taking a maiden at Evreux over 1800m. Bought for 40,000 euros from Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, the colt is out of Group Two winning mare Frine. Ribchester is part of the Darley roster of stallions.
Joyner Sport
Joyner Sport became the first juvenile winner at Vincennes from the 2019 crop when taking the Prix des Bruyeres on Monday. He produced a new race-record kilometre rating of 1'15"2 and can continue to progress.
Love You
Stallion Love You enjoyed a successful weekend with daughter Flower Dust taking the G1 Dansk Hoppe Derby at Charlottenlund in Denmark whilst Venerate won one of the Kentucky Championship series in a time of 1'09"9.
Pamouschana
Third in the G3 Prix de Lieurey, Pamouschana has been entered in two Listed races at the start of September – the Prix Millkom (La Teste) and Prix Cochère (Longchamp). Trainer Édouard Monfort is hopeful that the filly can achieve a Black Type success before the end of the season, but she will be kept in training at four.
Ocean
Winner of the G3 Prix Ris-Orangis at Deauville, Ocean is entered in the G3 Prix de Meautry at Longchamp. Trainer Stéphane Cérulis has identified the G3 Prix du Petit Couvert as an alternative target with the colt likely to stay in France for his three-year-old campaign.
Osarus Trot
The first sale of the season by Osarus Trot at Argentan on 28 August was disappointing with the average sale price of 10,098 euros. Overall, the best lots achieved estimated targets but the lower grade lots struggled to surpass expected figures.
David Cottin
David Cottin has provided updates on his stable stars for the upcoming jumps season. Fifth in the G1 Grand Steeplechase de Paris, Le Berry has been given some time off due to a case of pneumonia and will return in the G3 Prix Heros on 10 October. Absent since finishing runner-up in the G1 Grande Course des Haies on 22 May, Paul's Saga will return to the racetrack for the G2 Prix de Compiegne. Cottin has warned punters that the mare is unlikely to be fully fit for her reappearance.
In Swoop
G1 German Derby winner In Swoop has been acquired by Coolmore to join their National Hunt stallions. The four-year-old is the best son of German sire Alderflug however his career was curtailed by a tendon injury prior to a second tilt at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) a race he finished second in last year.
Mo Celita
UK trained Mo Celita is expected to return to France for the G3 Prix du Petit Couvert, following her victory in the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud at Deauville. She has won six races in 2021 for trainer Adrian Nicholls and connections are leaning towards France rather than Ayr for her next assignment due to the likelihood of anticipated better ground.
Cash Equity
Cash Equity bounced back to better order with a third in the Listed Prix Nureyev, having disappointed in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris (2400m) prior. Plans are flexible for the colt going forward with a Listed race identified as a possible target at the start of November.
Policy of Truth
Fourth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1600m), Policy of Truth is expected to return to the track for the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp on 2 October. The colt has not been seen since an unsuccessful bid in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (2100m).