19 April 2020
Photos scoopdyga.com
Sunday, April 20, 2019. - The five-year-old gelding Montgeroult (Kapgarde) easily won the Prix du Président de la République Handicap Chase (Gr3), renamed this year Prix Notre-Dame de Paris, Sunday at Auteuil. Trained by Marcel Rolland, who won this "French Grand National" for a record fifth time, Mongeroult was bred in Normandy by Sven Pauwels. He is the only horse owned by Robert Ollivier today.
Montgeroult is the first foal out of the unraced mare My Samsara (Trempolino), who has since given a 3-year-old filly by Kapgarde in training with Richard Chatel and a Martaline colt.
It was only the 8th appearance of Mongeroult, seventh for his comeback and fourth in the preparatory race, the Prix Lutteur III Handicap Chase (L), also at Auteuil but on a shorter distance. He was wearing blinkers and a noseband for the first time, which allowed him to be more focused than usual on Sunday.
The champion mare De Bon Coeur (Vision d'État), for her part, won as expected on the hurdles of the Prix Léon Rambaud (Gr2), the main race on the card at Auteuil on Sunday.
The favourite relayed the front-running Galop Marin (Black Sam Bellamy) in the final turn and she held in respect her last challenger, Berjou (Holy Roman Emperor), beaten a good length, with Galop Marin third at two lengths and half. The winning mare is trained by François Nicolle for Jacques Détré and Nicolas de Lageneste's Haras de Saint-Voir.
Sunday, April 27, 2019. - Goliath du Berlais (Saint des Saints) led all the way in the Prix Jean Stern 4yo CHase (Gr2), a steeple-chase gathering the best 4-year-old in the country. Owned by Stéphane Szwarc, haras d'Etreham and Palmyr Racing, the tall colt won without being really challenged by Bel Apsis (Apsis), who followed him from the beginning and had already finished in this place during their previous, the Prix Fleuret 4yo Chase (Gr3). This time, he finished three lengths behind the winner. The new challenger Kapdam (Kapgarde) was never in the mix, and Royal et Tic (Policy Maker), the other potential threat, faded in the last straight.
Goliath du Berlais was bred by Jean-Marc Lucas. He's partly owned by Haras d'Étreham, who bought a share last year. He is still entire and his sire is based at Etreham, near Bayeux.
And then ...
Montgeroult, only 5 years old, did not compete in the Zeturf Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), and he didn't win again in 2019, even though he finished 2nd in an Auteuil Hurdle race in the Autumn. His Kapgarde 3yo sister also failed to win and she has left the competition for the moment.
De Bon Coeur did not succeed in winning the French Champion Hurdle (Gr1) a second time as Bénie des Dieux was too good for her on the day. She retired with this second place, beating Berjou once again. The latter remained undefeated last winter on the Cagnes-sur-mer chase, where he won the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice (Gr3). Galop Marin went on to win a second Grand Prix d'Automne Hurdle (Gr1). De Bon Cœur was due to meet French-based sire Doctor Dino for her first date at stud.
No problem, however, for Goliath du Berlais, who was triumphant in the Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase after this. He then entered stud where he bred his first mares this winter ...
On the French National card, Enjeu d'Arthel and Ebonite took the first two places of the Prix André Boignières, an AQPS chase, for owner Andrée Cyprés and trainer Emmanuel Clayeux. The winner also won the Fondeur Chase (L) at the end of the season and took the second place for his return in 2020 in the Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3), while the second also finished second in November in the La Haye Jousselin Chase (Gr1).