2 December 2023
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, December 2, 2023, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). – True Tiger (Jukebox Jury) finally claimed a major title at Auteuil in the €196,000 Léon Olry-Roederer Hurdle (Gr2), the season's finale for hurdlers in Paris. Owned by Philippe Hartzer, who co-bred the horse in Haut-Rhin with Guy Isselin and Ralf Ernst, True Tiger moved into the leading group in the final turn. He was then travelling behind Kapteen (Kap Rock) and the AQPS Irish Vocation (Voiladenuo), along with Norville (Air Chief Marshal). He soon made his move and dashed home in the run-in, holding Norville's strong finish, who could only close in to finish second, one length behind and 10 lengths ahead of a staying on Irish Vocation,...
This race marked the second outing for the horse since joining Lucie Pontoir, who succeeded three trainers, namely Valentin Duvillars, Isabelle Gallorini, and the pair of Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire. The horse's first run at Auteuil, with Isabelle Gallorini, was on April 21 when he finished 4th in the Alcide 4yo Hurdle Hurdle, following his first win in his 3rd attempt the previous winter at Pau for trainer Valentin Duvillars.
That same season, he was 4th again in the Amadou 4yo Hurdle (Gr2) and in the Prix Alain du Breil 4yo Hurdle (Gr1) before securing 5th and 3rd places at the Gr3 level in the autumn.
After an 18-month absence, True Tiger re-emerged when trained by Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire, who had previously trained Rosa Mill (Pentire), a first foal out of the mare Rosarium (Zinaad) who won nine chases, five claimers and four at La Roche-Posay. True Tiger won at Royan during his time with these trainers last spring, but he was sent to Lucie Pontoir in the autumn. He came back over hurdles in the Hunorisk Hurdle, when 2nd to Irish Vocation, before taking his revenge here.
True Tiger's dam, Rosarium, was purchased for 5,500 € at the Baden-Baden sales in 2010, in foal with Desert Prince, when she was already 11 years old. By then, she had produced Rag Tiger (Pentire), winner of the Wild Risk Hurdle (L) and 2nd in the Grande Course de Haies de Printemps Handicap Hurdle (Gr3), and her best product, Red Lips (Areion), had not yet placed 4th in the Prix de l'Opéra (Gr1) nor won her Listed race, or taken several Group places in France and Germany. Red Lips would later herself produce Rip van Lips (Rip van Winkle), winner of a Gr2 over 2m at Baden-Baden.
True Tiger is the only foal out of Rosarium since her sale following the birth of a male by Desert Prince, Tiger Prince, who failed to place in four races.