27 November 2020
Photo scoopdyga.com
Only five of the ten runners of the last Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), won by Docteur de Ballon (Doctor Dino) six weeks ago, are at the start on Sunday at Auteuil for the €360,000 La Haye Jousselin Chase (Gr1). The new champion of the French chasing scene will thus find again the 5-year-olds Figuero (Yeats) and Feu Follet (Kapgarde), respectively second and third in the "Grand Steeple", the fifth-placed Roxinela (Muhtathir) and the unplaced D’Jango (Balko).
The new opponents of this quintet are mostly rated below but the end of the season and the ground (measured at 4.4, Very Soft, Friday morning) is not as deep as it should be at this time of year, because it hasn't rained for a while over Paris.
- 1. BLASIMON (g6, FRA by Soave and Fonaba, by Dr Fong) Weight: 10-10 / Rating: 157lbs
Trained in Charentes by François Nicolle, he is the winner of the alternative prep race to this La Haye Jousselin Chase, the Général Donnio Chase (L), which took place three weeks ago. He won it sprinting in the run-in at the expense of his front-running stablemate Lou Buck’s. That day, the mare Roxinela was giving lots of weight to most and she was beaten early. Even though she had just finished fifth in the Grand Steeple, taking that form to the letter could prove ill-advised. Still: after a few career breaks, Blasimon is certainly making good progress.
- 2. LOU BUCK’S (g6, FRA by Buck’s Boum and Loucessita, by Pistolet Bleu) Weight: 10-10 / Rating: 163lbs
Trained in Charentes by François Nicolle, he led most of the Général Donnio Chase (L) last time out and finally had to give in to Blasimon. Before that, he had won 4 races in a row, two of which dated from 2018, and two from this season at Compiègne. He had, therefore, been out for 18 months, after also finishing fourth in the Alain du Breil 4yo Hurdle race (Gr1) when trained by Guillaume Macaire, whom he left after that long break. He too is undoubtedly capable of progress.
- 3. DOCTEUR DE BALLON (g8, FRA by Doctor Dino and Nile Breeze, by Phantom Breeze) Weight: 10-10 / Rating: 183lbs
Trained in Senonnes (Mayenne) by Louisa Carberry, he is the winner of the last Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1). Previously, he had also caused a sensation by winning the 2019 Ingré Chase (Gr3) but had unseated his rider in the Grand Steeple immediately after. Absent since June 2019, he had again lost his jockey for his return, at Compiègne, without having had time to show anything, before revealing himself again in the Grand Steeple.
- 4. D’JANGO (g7, FRA by Balko and Quizas Jolie, by Video Rock) Weight: 10-10 / Rating: 139lbs
Trained in Normandy by Patrice Quinton, this AQPS won the President de la République Handicap Chase (French National, Gr3) under 9-11 in May, he then fell in the Drags Chase (Gr2). He took fifth place this season for his comeback in the Violon II Handicap Chase, before failing to complete the course in the Grand Steeple.
- 5. COBRA DE LARRE (g8, FRA by Discover d´Auteuil and Camivilla, by Villez) Weight: 10-10 / Rating: 160lbs
Trained at Chantilly by David Cottin, he finished second in a very good Morgex 4yo Chase (Gr3) behind Perfect Impulse and ahead of Galop Marin… He then experienced a slump, then was absent for a year before joining his new trainer and made his reappearance in November 2019. He has won three times since also finishing third in the Troytown Chase (Gr3) and won over hurdles at Nantes last time out …
- 6. MATFOG (g5, IRE by Style Vendôme and Crystal Reef, by King’s Best) Weight: 10-3 / Rating: 159lbs
Trained at Royan-La Palmyre by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, he won his flat maiden at the start of the 3-year-old season but was switched to jumps and his current trainer the following summer. He quickly won over hurdles and was racing with the elite of his generation in the following spring at 4. Converted to the chasing in September 2019, winning at Compiègne, he finished fifth at Cheltenham in the New Year’s day Novices Chase (Gr2) and has shown further progress this year as he has just won closing in in the Grand Steeple-Chase de Compiègne (Gr2). He will go chasing for the first time at Auteuil, however.
- 7. ROXINELA (f7, FRA by Muhtathir and Grivette, by Antarctique) Weight: 10-6 / Rating: 163lbs
Trained in Chantilly by François-Marie Cottin, she won her two best victories last November in the Georges Courtois Chase (Gr2) and this summer in the Drags Chase (Gr2). Third for her comeback over Auteuil’s hurdles, she faltered at the end of the race then in the Ingré Chase (Gr3), the main prep race for the Grand Steeple, in which she bravely stayed on in fifth. She then failed under a hefty 11-7 in the Général Donnio Chase (L) won by Blasimon with far less to carry.
- 8. FIGUERO (g5, FRA by Yeats and Annaland, by Saint des Saints) Weight: 10-3 / Rating: 177lbs
Trained in the Charentes by François Nicolle, this 5-year-old AQPS won the Maurice Gillois 4yo Chase (Gr1) last year, becoming the best of his class at 4. He won again over hurdles for his comeback in 2020, then finished fourth in the Murat Chase against older horses (Gr2) before taking his revenge in the Ingré Chase (Gr3) for his second attempt against aged horses on the steeplechase. In the Grand Steeple, he finished a good second to Doctor de Ballon.
- 9. BÉBÉ D’OR (g5, FRA by Poliglote and Bénéfique, by Mansonnien) Weight: 10-3 / Rating: 154lbs
Trained at Royan-La Palmyre by Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, he won the Morgex 4yo Chase (Gr3) just a year ago. Pulled up for his only outing last spring, over hurdles, he was twice second this Autumn hurdling before finishing fourth to Blasimon in the Général Donnio Chase (L) recently, for his return to the bigger obstacles.
- 10. FEU FOLLET (g5, FRA by Kapgarde and Folle de Toi, by Sageburg) Weight: 10-3 / Rating: 176lbs
Trained in Royan by Guillaume Macaire, he was the best in his promotion over hurdles at 4 and was switched to chasing without really fulfilling the initial hopes. He seems to be progressing steadily this year and has supported his claim to a future crown by taking the third place in the Grand Steeple again behind Docteur de Ballon and Figuero, which he finds here again in similar conditions.