30 April 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
Saturday, April 30, 2022, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - At the end of a rather selective Ingré Chase (Gr3) led by Général en Chef (Martaline), then Feu Follet (Kapgarde) form the rail-ditch-and-fence jump, the latter did hold on and kept the favourite Sel Jem (Masked Marvel) in check in the run-in. The Papot family champion, unbeaten in two trials this term, had followed the leaders and looked like a potential winner as he was moving in at the last, but he couldn't keep up with the leader. The other 5-year-old runner in the race, the mare Starlet du Mesnil (No Risk At All), finished well in third despite a mistake at the rail-ditch-and-fence.
Feu Follet is trained by Hector de Lageneste and Guillaume Macaire. he's racing for Hugo & Pierre Pilarski, but also Palmyr Racing, and won here his 13th victory, a year after finishing 2nd in the same contest behind Le Berry…
A faller at the Middle open-ditch in last year's Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), Feu Follet had taken impressive revenge in the Prix des Drags Chase (Gr2). In Autumn, however, he won the first time out over hurdles but failed twice over the bigger obstacles. This season, he had only run and won for his seasonal return over hurdles at Compiègne.
Feu Follet is out of Folle de Toi (Sageburg) and was bred byÉcurie D (Jean-Pierre Dubois). His dam ran 8 times and never won over the flat. Feu Follet is her first foal. She's a full sister to Fou et Sage (Sageburg), 2nd in the Prix d’Indy Hurdle Race (Gr3) and the Pépinvast Hurdle race (Gr3), behind the great Bonito du Berlais. Folle de Toi recently gave a 2018 colt by Triple Threat (withdrawn at Deauville in November 2019), still a maiden and sold a few days before the Ingré Chase for €7,000 at the Auctav online sales, a Waldpark colt in training with David Cottin and two other colts by Kapgarde.
What they said...
Guillaume Macaire (the co-trainer of Feu Follet (1st) and Sel Jem (2nd)
“Today I asked Sel Jem's rider [Kilian Dubourg} to allow Feu Follet to do his own thing. Given that David Cottin's General-in-Chief went to the front, there was a risk that he would cut his own throat by taking him on. Feu Follet has been primed during his career when it comes to tackling long distances. This is not the case with Sel Jem. It was our intention to do what panned out today. So we didn't get to bottom of them in the morning. We will have to wait because the 6,000 metres trip, which is the distance of the Grand Steeple, is not today's 4,400m. This is what is embedded in the horse's memory. Feu Follet is a good horse. He experienced some difficulties at the end of last year, and we acted accordingly. If the finishing order had been the other way round, it wouldn't have changed my plans when it comes to tackling the Grand Steeple with Feu Follet and Sel Jem. Regarding Sel Jem, and I had to seek a replacement for Johnny Charron, I didn't want a jockey who who would subject him to him a hard race. Kilian gave him a good ride. It's a good stepping stone to the Grand Steeple.”
Xavier Papot (the owner of Sel Jem, 2nd)
"The horse really only exerted himself in the straight. The aim was for the horse to make a clean jump at the last obstacle because he lost a shoe last time. And the visual impression is certainly very good. Sel Jem didn't even receive even a flick of the whip. I would like to thank the jockey for riding to orders. We mustn't forget that Feu Follet is a serious horse, as is the François Nicolle charge Niko Has, and, perhaps, even Gex.”
François Nicolle (the trainer of Starlet du Mesnil, 3rd, Eddy de Balme, 4th)
"I am a little disappointed with Starlet du Mesnil's performance, and not so much because she was beaten by Feu Follet and Sel Jem, as she seemed to be sitting pretty on the final bend, and yet she was unable to pick up. Having said that, she made a lot of effort during the race, but her jumping {too big at her obstacles] let her down. With her, it's all or nothing: either she does too much or she tends to switch off. She's third and I don't think that an extra 1,500m, based on this performance, would make much difference. I'm going to talk to the Devin family about it but I'm not sure about running her in the Grand Steeple.”
“Eddy de Balme ran up to form. He gave a good account of himself but he is clearly a notch below the best. We might go for the Prix des Drags with him. As regards the 'decider [Grand Steeple} I have Niko Has and Happy Monarch earmarked for this race, and the latter will relish the distance and the ground, and we will see have to see when it comes to fielding other possible candidates.”