23 February 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Auteuil finally reopens its doors this last Monday in February with a prestigious Group 3 Chase on the card, the €135,000 Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3), the first Parisian step towards the €820,000 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), which will take place this year May 17. In the meantime, three other dress rehearsals are on the calendar on March 14 with the €135,000 Troytown Chase (Gr3), then April 4, the day of €210,000 the Murat Chase (Gr2) and finally April 25 for the €140,000 Ingré Chase (Gr3). That is €1.44 m allocated to five races.
For this first round at Auteuil, there are twelve runners at the start trying to succeed the titleholder Le Costaud, who is not with us this time. We note that if some winners of this Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3) are indeed leading chasers, they are rare to have also won the Grand Steeple. Like two other prep races, this event takes place over 4,400 meters (2m6f), that's a mile shorter than the main objective. It’s a different exercise, even so early in the spring season, with an often softer ground than at the end of May.
Monday, the best rating at the start is 159lbs. It is shared by Poly Grandchamp (Poliglote) and Farnice (Saddler Maker), who is one of the five 5-year-olds at the start. Trained by champion handler François Nicolle, Farnice races for Franck Délibéros, associated with the Haras de Saint-Voir. Here he finds Kapdam (Kapgarde), who finished second in the Maurice Gillois 4yo Chase (Gr1) last November. The last 5-year-old to beat aged horses in this race, against his elders, is Farlow des Mottes, winner in 2013. Third in the Grand Prix de Pau Chase (Gr3) recently, Poly Grandchamp leads the Pau selection with Emirat (Coastal Path) and Chinco Star (Malinas). Undefeated this winter in three chases at Pau, the 5-year-old Laskalin (Martaline) will try to confirm in Paris. The Anglo-Arab Gianicolo (Balko) was also successful at Pau last time out, in a race restricted to his breed. Trained by Jérôme Larrigade for Écurie Sagara, he has already won at Auteuil, but he fell at the last hurdle the last time he went there when he was well beaten.
Three times a winner in this event in the last four editions, trainer Guillaume Macaire will only saddle the versatile Sainte Saône (Saint des Saints), while his neighbour at Royan, Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, lines up Kapdam and Amour du Mathan (Saint des Saints).
From the Centre of France comes Emmanuel Clayeux with two good propositions, namely Enjeu d'Arthel (Saddler Maker), a 6-year-old AQPS who will start his first campaign among the elite -this is his first attempt in a Group race-, and the handsome Emirate.
François-Marie Cottin was hard at work in Cagnes this winter, where we saddled the 5-year-old Meredith (Soldier of Fortune), second in the Grand Prix Chase on the French Riviera. The 8-year-old Cafertiti (Fairly Ransom) starts his 2020 campaign here for the same stable.