12 May 2023
PRESS RELEASE 12 May 2023
Sunday May 14th 2023, ParisLongchamp
THE EMIRATES POULES D’ESSAI
DES POULAINS AND POULICHES
All are harbouring dreams of victory!
What is at stake in the 2023 Poules d’Essai (French Guineas)
The Emirates Poules d’Essai des Poulains/Pouliches kick-starts the French classic season. The two Group 1 races – which represent the pinnacle of horse racing - are reserved for the very best three-year-olds. The aim is to designate the leaders of the classic generation who, once their racing careers are over, will go on to enjoy stud careers with a view to improving the thoroughbred breed.
Both classics are run over 1,600 metres (1m), which is a distance that requires a mix of speed and stamina. The other classic races of the French calendar, the Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club and the Prix de Diane Longines, are run over 2,100 metres. It is not uncommon to see a colt or filly contest each of the classics open to their particular sex.
High class fields in both classics!
Whether it be the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains or the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the best French horses will be competing against their counterparts from Britain and Ireland: which are also among the élite racing nations internationally-speaking.
GROUND UPDATE : A track which has been specially maintained in view of D-Day
Charles de Cordon, the manager of the ParisLongchamp racecourse, has issued an update on the forecast ground conditions for Sunday’s meeting. He said:
« It has rained a lot in the Parisian region during the first part of the week, but the track has been drying out. On Friday morning, the penetrometer reading was 4.2 (very soft). The grass will be trimmed to a final depth of 11cms on Saturday. We expect the ground to ride very soft on Sunday, and anticipate a penetrometer reading of around 3.9. The rail will remain in its usual place, which hasn’t been the case since the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Meeting: and this will give rise to a 10m strip of fresh ground. The open-stretch, 5m out from the running rail, will also come into play. »
TRAINERS’ PORTRAITS
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains
DEAUVILLE (Normandy region) : A first for Yann Barberot?
The principal French hope in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains is American Flag. Unbeaten this year, he landed the benchmark prep race, the Prix de Fontainebleau, by two and a half lengths.
Carrying the colours of British owner Malcolm Parrish, he is trained at Deauville by Yann Barberot. Hailing from Saumur, which is horse country, he embarked on a career as a jockey at a young age. He spent his formative period at Deauville with Nicolas Madamet and, after working for other owners, he began a long collaboration with Stéphane Wattel, who is also based at Deauville. "I owe him everything", he admits. In 2007, after suffering a heart attack, he was forced to call time on his career as a jockey, which was the prelude to him setting up shop as a trainer in the stables adjacent to those of Stéphane Wattel. His stable has grown and his successes have attracted others owners such as Tony Parker, with the former basketball playing star among those entrusting him with the care of their horses.
Despite already having won a Group 1 race (the Premio Vittorio di Capua at San Siro, Milan, with Waikika, in 2016), he has yet to win a classic: the Holy Grail for any trainer. American Flag can enable him to achieve this.
The Deauville training centre will also be represented by the Jean-Claude Rouget duo, Valimi and Kubrick.
The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches
CHANTILLY (Oise region) - Christopher Head: the heir apparent
Just thirty-six years old, Christopher Head is the rising star of the flat trainers’ fraternity. He set up as a trainer at Chantilly in 2018.
For all lovers of horse racing, the Head family name has a legendary resonance. The Head saga began in the 1880s when Christopher's great-great-great grandfather, William Senior, arrived in France with a view to pursuing a career as a jockey. William Jr, his son, later set up shop as a trainer at Maisons-Laffitte in the early 1920s. The Head name took on a new dimension via Christopher's grandfather, Alec, who died last year at the age of 97. The former jockey began his training career in 1943, having initially been based at Maisons-Laffitte before transferring to Chantilly. He trained 84 Group 1 winners, which comprised four Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe successes. He retired at the beginning of the 1980s, and subsequently devoted himself to the breeding horses at the Haras du Quesnay (on the outskirts of Deauville), which he had acquired in 1958. It was at ‘Quesnay’ that champions such as Trêve (the dual Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe) heroine, and Bon Mot and Détroit (both Arc de Triomphe winners), plus many others, were born...
Christopher's father Freddy was a crack jockey with four Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners to his name. In 1997, Freddy Head decided to hang up his riding boots and become a trainer. He naturally chose Chantilly as his training base. The mare which left the greatest imprint on his training career was Goldikova. Carrying the Wertheimer & Frère silks, she won 14 Group 1 races, including the Prix Rothschild (four times) and the Breeders' Cup Mile (three times). Freddy Head retired at the end of last year, having handed over the reins to his son Christopher and daughter Victoria.
Lastly, Christiane Head [also known as Criquette], Freddy's sister, is the only woman to have trained a winner of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She actually trained three winners of the Parisian feature: having broken the ice in 1979, a year after she set up as trainer, via Three Troikas, before delivering twice via the crack performer Trêve, in 2013 and 2014. She retired from training horses in January 2018.
In common with his father and aunt, young Christopher chose to base himself at Chantilly (Oise region). Success soon came his way, and he landed his first major success in 2022 with Blue Rose Cen, the winner of the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (Group 1), which is the top French race for 2-year-old fillies. Blue Rose Cen is expected to start favourite in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. She carries the colours of the Yeguada Centurion, the nom de course of Leopoldo Fernández Pujals, the Cuban-born entrepreneur who made his fortune in Spain via Telepizza: the Pizza delivery chain which he founded.
THE VIEW OF CONNECTIONS
- The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains : 10 runners
Cards HERE
Yann Barberot – the trainer of American Flag – trained at Deauville - Calvados region
« Having a runner in a classic is a good thing. Yet it's even better when you have a live contender! As a trainer, I'm really proud. American Flag worked well on the grass (Tuesday) in view of his Poule d'Essai bid. His jockey, Christophe Soumillon, liked the way that he conducted himself. The colt is ready. In principle, there should be fewer runners than last year. This is invariably an advantage as it may enable him to have a smoother passage during the race. The recent rainy spell should be to his advantage. »
Jean-Claude Rouget (the trainer of Valimi and Kubrick) – trained at Deauville – Calvados region
« Valimi and Kubrick did their final serious pieces of work, having worked together on the grass at Deauville racecourse on Tuesday. Kubrick had in any case worked last week, which wasn’t the case with Valimi. The ground was very soft and they were visibly not inconvenienced by it. Valimi was giving me concern in this respect beforehand. Yet, more pertinently, Kubrick was the one that raised more questions in this regard. The latter made a good return in the Prix Djebel, and I was satisfied with his performance. As for Valimi, he improved for his return effort at Saint-Cloud. Last time out at Longchamp, he very quickly set the record straight. »
Alessandro Botti (the trainer of Breizh Sky) – trained at Chantilly – Oise region
« His comeback effort in the Prix Djebel was quite good. Unfortunately, on a cruel note, the race was devoid of pace. Moreover, things panned out perfectly for the winner, Good Guess. When you look back at the results of the races run on the straight course that day, you will discern that the ground near the rail rode quicker than elsewhere. Breizh Sky has improved markedly for the run. From the outset, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains has always been his long-term target. The forecast very soft ground shouldn’t be a problem for him as he finished third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère when there was plenty of give. That said, it will, above all, benefit American Flag who loves this type of ground... »
Fabrice Chappet (the trainer of Good Guess) – trained at Chantilly – Oise region
«Good Guess has worked very well in preparation for the race. He has never raced over a mile, but he gave the impression, in the Prix Djebel, which was run over 1,400 metres, that he could go longer. This particular course and distance has worked well for me [in the past], thanks to Précieuse! The ground is more of a question mark as it promises to be on the testing side. Invariably, the draw will be decisive. Given that the running rail will remain in its usual place, low numbers have a huge advantage. You can't win the Poule with a bad horse, but the best horse can still be beaten on account of the way that the race unfolds. This year's field will not be a large one, so the impact of the draw should be minimised. »
Philippe Sogorb (the trainer of Kendly) – trained at Mont-de-Marsan – Landes region
« Kendly has done nothing but improve from race to race. Sidelined for two months during the winter, he has gained in strength and maturity, which has been evident on his last two outings. We entered him for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in February because we already had this race in the back of our minds for him. His last two outings have confirmed that we can tackle Gr1 company with him. There is a world of difference when we compare the colt, in the light of his racecourse debut, and what he has since become. He has really evolved physically and mentally. Kendly has always run on soft ground, even very soft ground, so I don't think the rains will inconvenience him. He will be ridden by Oisin Murphy on Sunday. »
- The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches : 10 runners
Cards HERE
Christopher Head (the trainer of Blue Rose Cen) – trained at Chantilly (Oise region)
«We have done everything to ensure that everything goes according to plan. We're here and this will be the pinnacle of her career. Blue Rose Cen acts on the ground and is familiar with the course. In my eyes, she looks in really good shape, and we are very happy with the way that the filly has been shaping during her morning training. The filly hasn't grown much over the winter but she has strengthened up. We are expecting her to give the best possible account of herself. I think she's pretty incredible, as she combines an iron-willed attitude with a real facility [in the way she goes about things]. If the filly is to be held up, she is still capable of unleashing her turn of foot after coming from off the pace, and, equally, she can quicken from the front end of the race. She's straight forward and easy to ride. Put simply, she's quite magical. She showed herself to be a professional very early on last year. She was a superb juvenile, and I believe she is capable of confirming this at three. I don't think that the two are incompatible. Logically, Aurélien Lemaitre will be in the saddle. He knows the filly like the back of his hand. »
Jérôme Reynier (the trainer of Ritournelle) – trained at the Calas-Cabriès training centre - Bouches-du-Rhône region
«We planned on tackling the Poule d'Essai with Ritournelle, having reasoned "why not" in view of her win against the boys in the Prix Herod. At one point, I 'regretted' not running her in the 1,000 Guineas, given that the ground at Newmarket was riding soft, and because the filly loves racing over straight courses. Her preparation has gone well, and so we can go to into the race calmly and confidently. Ritournelle has done nothing but improve with each race she has run. »
Philippe Sogorb (the trainer of Fancy Me) – trained at the Mont-de-Marsan training centre – Landes region
« She will also be ridden by Oisin Murphy. In her last race, the Prix Imprudence, I expected a better showing from her. Clearly, she really needed the race. Having loomed menacingly in the final 400m, she was unable to sustain her effort. She needed the race and, as things stand, is in much better condition. She won the Prix des Réservoirs at two... and this success opened the doors to the ‘Poule’. We have always geared her preparation in view of the classic. When she won the ‘Reservoirs’, the ground was very soft. Very testing conditions would worry me, but holding/very soft ground shouldn’t inconvenience her. »
Christophe Ferland (the trainer of Lindy) – based variously at the Chantilly training centre (Oise region) and La Teste training centre (Gironde region)
« Since her debut, Lindy has done nothing but improve. She has benefited from running at straight forward tracks, and has invariably given of her best in each of her races. She had a good winter, and her comeback effort in the Prix de la Grotte was very good. Before her racecourse introduction, we were hoping that we had a good filly on our hands. Having given the right vibes, she has improved with each of her wins. Since her listed success last year, I have had the ‘Poule’ in mind for her. Despite being a small filly, she has grown, in addition to doing well during the winter, and it’s my opinion that she has filled out. Lindy is very easy to handle, and I harbour no worries about her ability to act over course and distance. Lindy is a daughter of Le Havre, and so I don't feel that the ground will be a hindrance to her. Depending on how she fares on Sunday, I hope, subject to a good performance, to run her in the Prix de Diane. I have even entered her in the Arc [de Triomphe], because I think that in time and given greater maturity that longer trips will be within her compass. A fortnight ago we sold a stake in the filly to Everest Racing. Cristian Demuro will ride Lindy on Sunday. »
Patrice Cottier (the trainer of Sauterne and Showay) – based at the Calas-Cabriès training centre - Bouches-du-Rhône region
« Sauterne has recovered really well from her win in the Prix du Pont Neuf. As things stand, the filly is really well physically, and she has been working well in advance of this race which has been her target for a long time. As per last appearance, Tony Piccone will again be in the plate. Regarding Showay, she showed in the Prix Imprudence that she is entitled to take her chance in the Poule d'Essai. She won really well that day. The filly is also in good physical condition, and her work has been good. Anthony Crastus has ridden her in her previous races and the partnership will remain intact. As far as the ground is concerned, I don't think either of them should be hindered by very soft ground. Obviously, even though 11 fillies will be going to post as things stand, I’m hoping that each will get a good draw. It's always an advantage at this track. »