16 February 2021
Photo scoopdyga.com
This is the third consecutive title for François Nicolle, crowned the best trainer over jumps by prizemoney for the 3rd consecutive year. He ends this new season with 303 horses running, 924 runners and 219 wins (24% strike rate) and a whopping €7.3m, almost 50% more than the Rouget stable’s earnings, which however competed in 350 fewer races. In 2020 over the flat, only the Marseilles-based Christophe Escuder approached a comparable number of starters, with 854 entries.
In this numbers’ game, Guillaume Macaire, with who Hector de Lageneste now partners, is also one of the bests with 878 starts taken by 265 horses, winners of 187 races (21%) for €4.5m.
David Cottin comes next with 149 horses, 439 starts and 96 wins (22%), followed by Gabriel Leenders, based in the West with 163 horses running 553 times for 101 wins (18%) and €2.48m. This is the first podium for Cottin, the best ranking to date for Leenders.
Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, champion in 2007, is the 5th reaching the €2m mark with 125 horses, 419 starters, 55 winners (13%).