22 May 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
May 22, 2022, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). Horses trained in the Charentes, near Royan, won the four Gr1 races of the Grand Steeple weekend at Auteuil, the last being the Alain du Breil 4-year-old Hurdle race (Gr1). Conditioned by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, Hawai du Berlais (Martaline) got the last word with the late Magalen Bryant's colours, and so her trainer has now won every one of the 9 French jumps Gr1 races.
Hawai du Berlais had previously won the Amadou 4-year-old Hurdle race (Gr2), bating most of her rivals here. She was the odds-on favourite to double down here. She just needed to be shaken up a bit to get rid of a fierce West End Girl (Great Pretender), who couldn't keep up after the last and finished second at six lengths, well safe from any return with eight lengths to spare over Norville (Air Chief Marshal), who just caught home a brave Imprenable (Chœur du Nord) for third-place. The race was led early by Royale Margaux (Doctor Dino), pressed by a free Kyrov (Dark Angel), who unseated his rider at the 3rd jump. In the backstretch, Hawai du Berlais and West End Girl took over when she started to fade.
Hawai has now won 5 of her 7 races. Last Autumn, she ducked from the boys in the Cambacérès3-year-old Hurdle race (Gr1) as her trainer elected to keep her record clean with a third win in the Haras d’Étreham Magalen Bryant 3-year-old Fillies Hurdle race (Gr2). Yet, the filly got beat by Kyrov and then Ine Anjou (now out of training) for her first two trials this term, but she ran to her true form again in time for the big one.
Hawai du Berlais was bred by Jean-Marc Lucas, at Haras du Berlais, like the other major 4-year-old winner today, Altesse du Berlais in the Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1). She is the second foal out of Hilton du Berlais (Saint des Saints), a Group3 winner over hurdles at Auteuil, and also the dam of another Martaline filly now aged 3 in training with Yannick Fouin. Two Doctor Dino colts follow.