1 March 2021
Photos scoopdyga.com
Monday, March 1, 2021, Auteuil. - The €135,000 Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3) is a traditional opener for the best Auteuil chasers. The history of this 80 years old race tells us that only three horses managed to win the event and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), including two in the same season. Trainers grow wary of getting their best chasers too ready too soon before Auteuil's blue riband.
This 81st edition turned into a heated finish eventually dominated by Feu Follet (Kapgarde), ridden for the first time by Nathalie Desoutter, a half-length in front of her stablemate and Galleo Conti (Poliglote), ridden by Baptiste Le Clerc.
Titleholder Poly Grandchamp (Poliglote) bravely fought to the end and finished only a neck behind Galleo.
Winner of the 2019 Grand Steeple, Carriacou (Califet) finished fourth at a length and a half.
The race was led by Amour du Mathan (Saint des Saints) until the big open-ditch, 14th of the 18 jumps of the race, where she made a mistake but remained in front along with Poly Grandchamp, who travelled alongside her from the start with Edgeoy (Saddler Maker), preceding Carriacou and Eddy de Balme (Cachet Noir). Eddy de Balme took over Poly Grandchamp and Carriacou between the last two jumps as the two others were fading, but the two representatives of owners Pierre Pilarski, the 6-year-old Feu Follet and the 5-year-old AQPS Galleo Conti, made their move behind them. In the run-in, they surrounded Poly Grandchamp, who held on, while Eddy de Balme peaked, to finally take the first two places for the Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire training stable, a new entity who'd just won its first Auteuil race with the promising Yes Indeed (Martaline) in the Varaville 4yo Hurdle race for Ecurie Gabeur.
Feu Follet is out of Folle de Toi (Sageburg) bred by the Écurie D (Jean-Pierre Dubois). His dam ran eight times without success over the flat and Feu Follet is her first foal. She is a full sister to Fou et Sage (Sageburg), second in the d'Indy 4yo Hurdle race and then in the Pépinvast 4yo Hurdle race (Gr3), behind Bonito du Berlais. Folle de Toi recently gave a Triple Threat colt (withdrawn from the November 2019 Deauville sale) in training with David Cottin, a son of Waldpark and another by Kapgarde.