31 March 2024
Photo scoopdyga.com
March/April, Auteuil
Fleuret 4yo Chase
Group 3, 4yos, Steeple-Chase, 4,400m/2m6f, €150,000
Created in 1944
Last winner: Karre d'As (FRA, f4 by Balko ex Bonne Passe (Maresca Sorrento), owned by Patrice Détré & Mrs Philippe Cottin, bred by Mrs Philippe Cottin & Magalen Bryant, trained by David Cottin, ridden by Charlotte Prichard.
In 2025, the race will be run for the 75th time
The 2024 edition
Sunday, March 31, 2024, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris) - As three weeks earlier in the €150,000 Duc d'Anjou 4yo Chase (Gr3), the AQPS mare Karre d'As (Balko) led from start to finish in the €150,000 Fleuret 4yo Chase (Gr3), another step on the road to the €355,000 Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1) in seven weeks. However, this new victory for the mare owned by Patrice Détré and Mrs Philippe Cottin differed for three reasons. Firstly, the mare bred by Mrs Philippe Cottin and the late Magalen Bryant conceded three kilos to her rivals. Secondly, a severe storm had significantly softened the track less than an hour earlier. Lastly, this time the mare won by no less than fourteen lengths!
Once again partnered with Charlotte Prichard, Karre d’As also benefited from the misfortunes of her main rivals, particularly Chanteur du Bourg (Chœur du Nord), who was still in contention when he fell at the last hurdle on the far side. Another potential rival, Kilomètre Illimité (No Risk at All), nearly unseated his rider at the water jump, then re-entered the race. Still, without full control, the unfortunate Florent Bayle was eventually carried out for good, without injury, at the stone wall. Kroisade (Jeu St Eloi) made numerous mistakes and the 2nd favourite Kentucky Wood (Balko)... finished 2nd!
Déjà lauréates du Prix Duc d’Anjou (Gr3) sous la casaque de Patrice Détré, Karre d’As @TheFrenchChaser et Charlotte Prichard répètent sur les 4400m du Prix Fleuret (Gr3) malgré 3kg de surcharge ! pic.twitter.com/XWKTDa01k8
— France Galop (@francegalop) March 31, 2024
Karre d'As is the first foal out of Bonne Passe (Maresca Sorrento), a winner of two races in 22 attempts, in steeplechase (at Pau) and cross-country (at Blain), before going to stud. Following her are a Reliable Man filly, also in training with David Cottin, and a 2-year-old Moises Has colt. The second dam, Iroquoise II (Dom Pasquini), also made her mark in cross-country…
History
This race was first run in 1944 to honour the memory of Fleuret, a winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in 1935, who fell on the field of battle in 1937. Originally, the Prix Fleuret was a steeplechase open to horses aged 5 and over. It was only in 1947 that it was reserved for 4 year-olds, apart from one exception in 1948, when older horses were admitted.
This is a second step on the way to the Ferdinand Dufaure 4yo Chase (Gr1), run on Grand Steeple day. First was the Duc d’Anjou 4yo Chase (Gr3), and next is the Jean Stern 4yo Chase (Gr2).
Fleuret
Born in 1928, this chestnut male sired by Tapin and foaled by Lady Flirt (Mon Petiot) did not run as a 2-year-old and then frequented the claiming races and handicaps the following season, garnering only one second-place carrying 46 kilos at Saint-Cloud. After a fourth-place on his debut over the hurdles at Maisons-Laffitte, he won at Enghien in early July in a claiming race after which, for 30,100 F, he swapped the colours of his breeder, Princesse Charles de La Tour d'Auvergne, for those of Arthur Veil-Picard. Having impressed the latter’s trainer Wallace Davis, Fleuret left the stables of Joseph Ginzbourg, who had previously prepared him. After being trained for steeplechasing, Fleuret recorded a pair of wins at Auteuil in November before taking part in the Nice meeting the following January where, having triumphed in the Grand Prix de Monaco, he fell in the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice. When Wallace Davis passed away that March, Fleuret passed into the care of Edmond Boullenger. After being placed once at Enghien, he was absent from the racetrack for a year while he underwent leg treatment and castration. Fleuret was then reunited with his original trainer, Joseph Ginzbourg, who had taken over the running of the Veil-Picard stable in the spring of 1933. Between June and November, Fleuret was placed four times but suffered another fall on his fifth attempt.
In 1934, at the age of 6, Fleuret gradually emerged as one of the leading steeplechasers. Placed four more times (most notably a close second in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Lyon and third in the Prix des Drags), his other four outings brought as many victories, one at Le Touquet in the Prix Gustave Wattinne, the other three at Auteuil, the last of them in November’s Prix La Haye Jousselin. Confirmation of his talent over the jumps came at 7, when his six outings produced just one win… in the premier French event, the Grand Steeple at Auteuil ahead of his stablemate Un Mitrailleur. He contested six more races as an 8-year-old, finishing down the field in the Grand Steeple (carrying 74 kilos, a 10-pound overweight then being applicable to past winners of the event), but tasting victory twice, once at Auteuil in March and then in May’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Bruxelles, by a head from the mare Hève, who would herself triumph in the Grand Steeple at Auteuil in 1938.
At 9, Fleuret’s last campaign consisted of six more races. He was placed only three times, but these included a third place in the Prix du Président de la République (won by his stablemate Vendaval) carrying 72.5 kilos, and another in the Prix des Drags. On his last outing on 29 August at Dieppe, Fleuret fell in the Grand Steeple. It was the fifth fall of his career, but this one proved fatal as a fractured leg meant he had to be put down. The final tally of this brave competitor was 11 victories and 17 places in 45 jumps races.
On the way to the Grand Steeple… and the Grand National
Six winners of the Prix Fleuret have gone on to win the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris: Cousin Pons (1960), Cacao (1965), Huron (1968), Air Landais (1974), Sir Gain (1983) and Mandarino (1997).
Winner of the 2005 renewal, Neptune Collonges was soon exported to Britain and he won the Grand National seven years later, in 2012.
Owners
- Magalen Bryant (5 wins): Saint Realise (2001), Westoune (2008), Saint du Chenet (2010) & Whetstone (fille de Westonne, 2018).
- Léseleuc de Kérouara (2 wins): Rondo (1947) & Domingo (1950).
- Daniel Wildenstein (2 wins): Yoritoma (1973) & Air Landais (1974).
- Mme Patrick Papot (2 wins): Saint Palois (2012) & Vanilla Crush (2013).
- Pierre de Montesson (2 wins): Kotkito (1993) & Kotkikova (whose thrid dam was Kotkito's dam, 2015)
- Simon Munir (3 wins): Tout Rouge (2011), Edward d’Argent (in partnership with Isaac Souede, en 2017), Queen du Berlais (in partnership with Isaac Souede, en 2021).
Entraîneurs
- Guillaume Macaire (12 wins): Parika (1994), Saint Preuil (1995), Subehargues (1999), Tango Royal (2000), Ladies Choice (2006), Westonne (2008), Tout Rouge (2011), Vanilla Crush (2013), Punch Nantais (2016), Edward d’Argent (2017), Whetstone (2018) & Goliath du Berlais (2019).
- Georges Pelat (6 wins): Du Bon (1952), Bosnap (1959), Le Ponant II (1962), Tonofranc (1971), Yoritoma (1973) & Air Landais (1974).
- André Adèle (4 wins): Carcajou (1953), Huron (1968), Bandera (1970) & Bobreton (1976).
- Jacques Ortet (4 wins): Kizitca (1996), Neptune Collonges (2005), Palibel d’Airy (2007) & Saint Palois (2012).
- Henri Gleizes (3 wins): Ike (1949), Bacio (1963) & Cacao (1965).
- Marcel Rolland (3 wins): Mandarino (1997), Saint Realise (2001) & Saint du Chenet (2010).
- David Cottin (3 wins) : Queen du Berlais (2021), Juntos Ganamos (2023), Karre d'As (2024).
Two female trainers won the race: Florence Forneron with Ladykish (2003) and Isabelle Pacault with Futio (2009).
Riders
- Bertrand Lestrade (5 wins): Vanilla Crush (2013), Attila de Sivola (2014), Punch Nantais (2016), Whetstone (2018) & Goliath du Berlais (2019).
- Benoît Gicquel (4 wins): Subehargues (1999), Tango Royal (2000), Ladies Choice (2006) et Westonne (2008).
- Roger Duchêne (3 wins): Poldauva (1978), Rêve d’Ys (1979) & Super Look (1989).
- Philippe Chevalier (3 wins): Turturilla (1991), Mandarino (1997) & Saint Realise (2001).
- Philippe Sourzac (3 wins): Parika (1994), Saint Preuil (1995) & Cyrlight (2004).
- One female rider, Charlotte Prichard, won the race in 2024 with Karre d'As.