3 March 2019
Photo scoopdyga.com
Le Costaud (Forestier), meaning "The Tough Guy", is 8 and he had never won a group at Auteuil before Sunday. He had run there only twice, in a chase at age 5, then over hurdles last year. He had finished second on both occasions.
On Sunday however, the huge chestnut trained by Guillaume Macaire won the Prix Robert de Clermont-Tonnerre Chase (Gr3), a first step towards the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), as if it were a sheer formality. Kept behing early in the 4,400 metres-long chase by regular rider James Reveley, he flew over the Stands' River in such a way that he went in a single leap from the last to the first ranks. Having thus joined the front-running Poly Grandchamp (Poliglote), he then passed over the main open-ditch (the 2nd biggest obstacle at Auteuil after the neighbouring rail-ditch-and-fence) as if, again, it was a pen on the ground. Then he kept on strolling around to win by ten lengths, beating a brave Poly Grandchamp, second nine lengths ahead of multiple Gr1 chases winner Milord Thomas (Kapgarde), by far the most successful horse in the race.
Bred in the Sarthe by Pierre de Maleissye Melun, Guillaume Macaire and Terry Amos, the sculptural chestnut races for Terry Amos, still associated with the other two breeders.
It was Le Costaud's 21st race, and his 13th win. And although he hadn't yet won a Group race at Auteuil, he already had bagged two Gr1s, but in Merano, Italy, in 2016 first, then in 2018, when he won the Grand Prix there.
His dam Loya Lescribaa (Robin des Champs) cost French bloodstock agent Pierre Boulard €30,000 at the Goffs sales in France in 2006. She ran only four times after that, for Terry Amos and trainer Guillaume Macaire. She didn't win but was placed third for her debut at Auteuil in March at 3 in the Prix Auricula Hurdle, a very hot fillies race. Le Costaud is her last foal after only two other geldings who both won at the highest level : Ainsi Fideles (Dream Well) won the Reynoldstown Novices Chase (Gr2) and Sametegal (Saint des Saints) was 3rd in the Triumph Hurdle (Gr1), and wdent on to lift the Greatwood Gold Cup (Gr3) later at Newbury...