5 March 2023
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, March 5th, 2023, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris) – Favourites fared well in this first Sunday meeting of the year at Auteuil, with four of them winning and a fifth finishing second, but none were as closely watched as the AQPS Il Est Français (Karaktar) in the €135,000 Juigné Hurdle (Gr3). Over the 2m2f hurdling trip, the Haras de Saint-Voir-bred 5-year-old gelding had to put in his best effort to remain undefeated over obstacles during this fifth attempt, nearly a hundred days after his success in the Classic Renaud du Vivier 4-year-old Hurdle (Gr1). His rider, Felix de Giles, was faced with a somewhat unexpected challenge, launched by the outsider Kapteen (Kap Rock), three years his senior and nevertheless never seen before, until this Sunday, at the start of a Group event...
Indeed, for his last outing, the 8-year-old trained at Chantilly by Robert Collet had won the Prix François de Ganay handicap hurdle with a rating of 137lbs, a good hour after the prodigious AQPS’s “Renaud du Vivier” victory!
Also returning from a hundred days' layoff and offered at final odds of 31/1 this time, he nonetheless took the lead in front of the stands, then went outside in the back straight, while Il Est Français came by inside and had taken over as they were entering the final turn, looking like an easy winner as his rider was remaining motionless. Yet Kapteen was not slowing down and, even worse, made up some ground in the run-in after Il Est Français awkwardly jumped through the last hurdle. Felix de Giles had to push his mount to win by a length and a half, with Hermès Baie (Crillon), the second favourite, finishing third at two other lengths.
In short, the expected walkover of Il Est Français did not happen, and that’s a good thing: there will be some competition this spring over Auteuil's hurdles!
Il Est Français took three second places over the flat, including the Prix Jacques de Vienne (Gr1-AQPS) for his breeder, owner and then-trainer, Nicolas de Lageneste. After his victorious debut over hurdles early this year, he was purchased by Richard Kelvin Hughes, Haras de Saint-Voir remaining a partner in the ownership. He was also sent to Tom George's stable, now replaced by his son Noel and his associates Amanda Zetterholm.
Il Est Français is off his sire Karaktar (High Chaparral)'s first generation. His AQPS dam Millésimée (Video Rock) didn't succeed in racing, but at stud, before Il Est Français, she gave eight foals who went to the races, and eight winners, including the Listed-winner Un Beau Matin (Sagamix), now exported to Ireland. It is the family of Hard Rock (Vidéo Rock), an Edmond Barrachin Chase (Gr3) winner, but also Sortie de Secours (Trempolino), a dual Listed-winner, dam of Général en Chef (Martaline), a William Head Chase (L) winner and Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1) 4th.