20 March 2022
Photo scoopdyga.com
March 20, 2022, Auteuil Racecourse (Paris). - The second stage of the #GrandSteepleChase Masters, a selection of the top races aiming to the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Gr1), the €135,000 Troytown Chase (Gr3) is also the first of the season on the outer chase course. The runners need to tackle the formidable rail-ditch-and-fence, the most impressive on the Parisian racecourse. However, it did not seem to bother the only 5-year-old in the race, Sel Jem (Masked Marvel), even though he had never had a chance to jump it before! Trained by Guillaume Macaire and Hector de Lageneste for the Papot family, he beat his elder foes at first asking, five months after a narrow second place in the Maurice Gillois 4-year-olds Chase (Gr1).
Ridden by Johnny Charron, he travelled on his own outside his six rivals and made a difference after the last hurdle, flying out of reach for a redeeming Eddy de Balme (Cachet Noir), who had already had two races this year and finished 2.5 lengths behind the victor, while Poly Grandchamp (Poiliglote) was staying on in third at half a length, beating a brave Dream Wish (Dream Well), who had led most of the way and failed by less than a length at the foot of the podium. The blue and green silks of the Papots, leading owner last season, was carried by the first, the third and the fourth home!
It was Sel Jem's 7th race only. He started his career over hurdles at Compiegne with a 2nd place in November 2020 and won next time out, at the Lion d’Angers eight months later. A winner for his chasing debut at Dieppe soon after, he confirmed at Auteuil in a Listed Chase before his 2nd place in the Maurice Gillois behind the filly Let Me Love (entered at the end of the week at Angers). Beaten again by a filly, La Danza, in the Morgex Chase (Gr2) three weeks later, he was only coming back here.
Sel Jem was bred by Florence Lormand in Normandy. His dam Ile des Saintes (Saint des Saints) did not run. Sel Jem is her 3rd foal in 6 years, and her last to date according to France Galop website. She also foaled Jem Bien (Dream Well), who won his first race last January in a Pau claiming Chase, aged 7. He had been unsold at €24,000 at Arqana's Summer sales at 2 in 2017. Ile des Saintes is a sister to Jemykos (Nikos), winner of a Grande Course de Haies de Pau (L), and to the dam of Jemy Baie (Crillon), winner of this same Troytown Chase in 2016.