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France has witnessed another major trainer/jockey split with Stephane Pasquier dumped as the rider of of Khalid Abdullah-owned horses trained by Andre Fabre.
The 29-year-old has been riding for the 19-time French champion trainer since 2006 but relations between the two have not been always cordial.
The relationship has been severed, although the jockey will continue to ride Abdullah's horses for other trainers.
Fabre has been using up-and-coming riders Maxime Guyon and Mickael Barzalona.
Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said on Monday: "We have renewed the contract with Stephane Pasquier to ride the horses trained by Pascal Bary, Criquette Head-Maarek and David Smaga."
Pasquier's first major victory for Abdullah came on Rail Link in the 2006 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He signed a contract for the owner the following year when he lifted six Group 1 races with Manduro, Zambezi Sun, Toylsome and Thewayyouare.
Mainly thanks to the attachment with Fabre, he became champion jockey for the first time that year. He is currently second in this year's table with 124 victories.
In September, Pasquier landed the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on the Criquette Head-Maarek trained Special Duty for Abdullah.