7 January 2024
Archive scoopdyga.com photo: Marvel de Cerisy at Auteuil last September
Sunday, 7 January 2024, Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur (Cagnes-sur-Mer) – The Cagnes-sur-Mer jumps' meeting concluded with a spectacular finale, highlighted by the €154,000 Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice – Bernard Sécly Chase (Gr3) and three supporting Listed races.
Contested by sixteen runners over 2m7f, the Grand Prix appeared highly competitive. The favourite, 10-year-old Berjou (Holy Roman Emperor), had missed the last two editions but had previously won the race twice. Despite a convincing comeback last time, David Windrif's charge failed to contend in the final stages, as did Garden Park (Walk in the Park), impressive in the last prep race but likely hampered by the significantly heavier turf following several days of rain. However, the winner emerged from the same stable as Garden Park for trainer Mickaël Seror, who had supplemented Marvel de Cerisy (Masked Marvel) despite some disappointment earlier in that meeting. This time, Marvel de Cerisy made a decisive move going off the bend and then held on against Oktente (Blek), who had also been recently defeated by Golden Park in the Prix du Comté de Nice Chase (L).
While Berjou lost contact with the leading group down the back straight, Christian Trecco's colours didn't leave the final day empty-handed, as the French owner's 5-year-old Lyiri (Scorpion) clinched victory in the €90,000 Grande Course de Haies de Cagnes (L) over the favourite and front-runner Le Chiffre d’Or (No Risk at All).
🏆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘆 (C. Lefebvre / @EcurieSeror) s'impose dans le Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice - Bernard Secly (Gr.3)
— Equidia (@equidia) January 7, 2024
👉 Berjou, lauréat de cette épreuve en 2020 et 2021, termine à la 6⃣e place pic.twitter.com/KDNEmO3364
Marvel de Cerisy has followed an unusual path. Born 7 years ago in Eure, where he was bred by the Varin family, he started his career in Ireland. There, his first owner, Mary Doyle, handed him over to his current owner, Caolan Woods (also the owner of the promising filly July Flower), after an initial Point-to-Point win. Trained by Henry de Bromhead, Marvel de Cerisy claimed two more wins as a novice in hurdles and then steeplechase before heading to the Cheltenham Festival, where he finished 9th in a Group 3 Novices' Chase Handicap. He then bounced back to second place in the Maghull Novices Chase (Gr1) at Aintree, placing him among the elite of his generation by the end of the 2022/2023 season.
Subsequently, he joined Mickaël Seror's stable at the Chantilly training centre with three other horses owned by Caolan Woods. After finishing second in the Ucello II Chase at Auteuil in his French debut, he faltered over hurdles at Compiègne and came third at Fontainebleau. His journey continued at the Cagnes-sur-Mer meeting, where he placed second and finally fourth in the Chasing prep race before today's revenge.
The heavy favourite of the €72,000 Prix André Massena – Grande Course de Haies des 4ans (L), Karthage (Galiway), remained unbeaten over hurdles in his third attempt for Mathieu Pitart's stable. Brooks (Masterstroke) fell at the last hurdle while in second place. In the €77,000 Prix Christian de l’Hermite (L) 4yo Chase, the AQPS Kassel Allen (Castle du Berlais) successfully held off a run-in assault by Garibaldi (Cloth of Stars), a stablemate of Brooks also sporting the colours of famed Parisian chef Manuel Martinez. Kassel Allen represents the Vagne family, breeder Bruno Vagne in Allier and Hugo Merienne's training yard.
At the end of the eleven race days of the Cagnes-sur-Mer Jumps' Meeting, Lyon trainer Mathieu Pitart topped the victory rankings for the first time with fourteen wins. He beat multiple title-holder Yannick Fouin (10) and Mickaël Seror, who saddled his ninth winner in the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice – Bernard Sécly.
Among the riders, uncertainty lingered until the end, with Dylan Ubeda and Nicolas Gauffenic entering the final race of the meeting with 10 and 9 wins, respectively. However, Ubeda extended his lead aboard Jimble Moon (Spanish Moon) for Mathieu Pitart's stable. Nathanaël Ferreira finished third with six winners.