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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 3rd February 2022.
This week's news-in-brief covers the retirement of Face Time Bourbon, mating plans for G2 Prix de Pomone (2500m) winner Raabihah and the sale of French jumpers In The Air and King Mage…
Trotting
Following the shock withdrawal from the G1 Prix d'Amerique of Face Time Bourbon last Tuesday, it was announced 48 hours later that the Champion had been retired to stud due to a navicular problem. Face Time Bourbon retires as a seven-year-old by Ready Cash from Vita Bourbon and his record stands at:
43 starts
35 wins
34 starts in France (29 wins)
9 international starts (6 wins)
17 Group Ones
Prizemoney €3,392,880 (In France €2,511,900)
By winning the G1 Prix d'Amérique at Vincennes last Sunday, 21-year-old Nicolas Bazire became the youngest driver to add his name to the record books and now sits alongside his father as a winner of the great event. They join other father/sons to have won the race – Marcel Gougeon/Jean-René Gougeon, Jean-Pierre Dubois/Jean-Etienne and Jean-Philippe.
Following Bahia Quesnot's poor performance in the G1 Prix d'Amerique on Sunday, Junior Guelpa explained that she had 'coughed a lot' the following morning and a start in this Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Ile-de-France (2200m) is in doubt.
Veteran trotting driver/trainer/breeder Jean-Pierre Dubois has announced he will no longer drive in competition. Absent since the end of November (his last drive resulting in a disqualification at Lyon-Parilly with Justin Bold), the 81-year-old reflected it had been a number of months since that drive, and believes you need to remain healthy (he recently had covid). He has decided to no longer participate driving in races and his training career will also continue to wind down, but he will continue to focus on breeding.
Flat
Nicolas Caullery has made a good start with his stable at Meydan in Dubai with three winners from fifteen starters. Winner of the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges at Longchamp in 2020, Batwan recorded his first win in almost nineteen months. Last Friday the seven-year-old won the Dubai Sprint Consolation, a conditions race over 1200m. Last season he ran placings in Group races and was bought for €29,007 in a Deauville claimer by Oliver Lodge. The G1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup Night is his goal.
Last Friday at Chantilly, Magny Cours won and in so doing enhanced his chances for a probable trip to Saudi Arabia to compete in the G3 Neom Turf Cup (2,100m turf). Dependent on his performance in Riyadh this is to be followed by a campaign in Dubai on World Cup Night.
On Friday 25 February, the day before the Saudi Cup meeting, Riyadh will host its now traditional International Jockeys Challenge. It has been confirmed France will be represented by Marie Velon. She is one of the seven female jockeys selected along with Hayley Turner (Great Britain), Jessica Pyfer (USA), Andrea Soledad Marinhas (Argentina), Ulrika Holmquist (Sweden), Sam Collett (Australia) while one place remains to be filled. For male jockey's, three of the seven places have been filled: Shane Foley (Ireland), Glen Boss (Australia) and Jim Crowley (Great Britain).
Absent from competition since his victory in the G3 Prix Daphnis, the Alessandro & Giuseppe Botti trained Bellharbour Music is set to make a return to the racetrack in the Listed Prix Saônois at Cagnes-sur-Mer on 19 March. Following that run, sights will be set on the Prix Edmond Blanc, the Prix Muguet and the G1 Prix Ispahan (1850m).
Another horse from the Botti stable, d'Amilcar (winner of the Listed Prix Luthier) could run in the Prix Montjeu to be qualified in view of a run at Newcastle (UK) for the All-Weather Championships.
Best horse on the all-weather in Spain, Legionario has been ear-marked to run in the Listed Prix Saônois at Cagnes-sur-Mer on 19 February. Run a week earlier, the Listed Grand Prix de la Riviera Côte d'Azur is a potential alternative. Legionario's record on the sand surface is eleven victories and a second. The trainer places his horses well when travelling to France, having won the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air twice with Casaca and Friné.
Winner of two races over the Madrid 1600m and placed in several Spanish domestic Stakes races, Furioso won at his first French start, the Class 3 Prix Bellabre carrying 61 kilos. His winter target is the Grand Prix St. Moritz, run on ice in Switzerland in February.
News from Shadwell Farms is Raabihah will go to Dubawi for her first mating. Winner of the G2 Prix de Pomone (2500m), the G3 Prix de Psyché (2000m) she will join Zeyaadah, another Shadwell Farms mare to be served by the same stallion. Zawkeel, winner of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary (2000m), had her first foal by Dubawi and will now visit See The Stars.
Jump
On his second race outing In The Air won the Prix de Beaugency over hurdles at Auteuil in November. He has subsequently been sold to English connections and will be trained by Gary Moore.
Another French jumper to be sold is triple Group race winner King Mage. His career will continue in Ireland. King Mage won the G2 Prix Georges Courtois in 2017 more than a year after his second place in the G1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure. Of late he has become one of the best jumpers to grace Compiègne winning two G3 and three Listed contests.
Last Saturday, the "FR" bred Allegory of Vassy remained undefeated, after two outings in Ireland, by easily winning the G3 Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle. She was immediately installed as favourite for the G2 Parnell Properties Mares' Novices' Hurdle to be run on March 17 at Cheltenham (UK).
